The supercat parent trap
by GaneWhoo
Summary: Identical twin boys, separated at birth and each raised by one of their mothers, discover each other for the first time at summer camp and make a plan to bring their wayward parents back together ...
1. Prologue

_Hello, supercat fans! A few things first:_

 _\- This is my first attempt at fanfiction ever and I am not an English native speaker so it won't be flawless, obviously. But I'll try, I swear._

 _\- This is an AU with no Supergirl in it, or any other superhero for that matter._

 _\- It was easier to stick with the locations of the movie, so London and Napa, California._

 _\- Also, you need to know that for this story, Cat & Kara are 12 years apart in age. So, Cat was 34 when the twins were born and Kara was only 21. In present time, Kara is 34, Cat is 46 and the twins are 13. It seemed important to keep the age gap between them._

 _Please, do keep in mind that this is a fanfiction LOOSELY based on the movie The parent trap, it's not a copy/past of it, I will add and change some things, events, names and other stuffs._

 _Thank you SO MUCH whorecrux for suffering through this as my beta-reader._

 _Thank you and enjoy it!_

 **Casting :**

 _Nick Parker_ becomes **Kara Danvers**

 _Elizabeth James_ becomes **Cat Grant**

 _Chessy_ becomes **Alex Danvers**

 _Martin_ becomes **Lucy Lane**

 _Meredith Blake_ becomes **Siobhan Smythe**

And the twins are boys named **Carter Grant & Clark Danvers**

* * *

PROLOGUE

"Danvers! Clark Danvers!"

The young boy jumped and raised his hand, yelling over the crowd "I'm here!"

The woman smiled at him and crossed something off her list, already moving on to another name.

Clark looked around himself, a huge grin etched on his face. He took in the sight of the lake surrounded by a small number of little woody bungalows and the colorful and loud crowd that was happily chatting and screaming. Staff members were running all over the place, talking to kids and to some concerned parents, trying to make things run as smoothly as possible.

He was finally at Camp Henshaw for what seemed like a promising summer.

Cheerfully, he walked to the luggage area and searched for his sport bag. Unfortunately, by the time he found it, more bags had been added on top of his and he sighed with annoyance. He should have known better. After all, Alex had told him to go for his bag before doing anything else, to avoid situation like that.

Narrowing his eyes at his bag, he tried to pull it out but it was buried too deep in the mountain of luggage and he wasn't strong enough. Looking up, he saw a tall dark-skinned boy approaching the area and he waved at him.

"Hey, Hulk!" Clark yelled, watching as the boy looked around and narrowed his brown eyes at him. The young boy smiled and asked with a sheepish look "Yes, you. Sorry, but my bag is stuck under others bags and I was wondering … could you help me pulling it out?"

The dark-skinned boy stayed still for a bit and then laughed. He nodded with a smile and Clark pointed at his bag.

With a strong pull, the tall boy retrieved it and handed it over to his owner, who took the bag with a relieved sigh. "Thank you so much! I'm Clark, by the way." He was bouncing with joy and excitement.

The other boy smiled too and answered "You're very welcome. I'm Jimmy, nice to meet you! Nice bag, by the way."

Clark's smile widened and he explained "Yeah, at first it was a random white bag but my mom is a painter and she thought it was a little bit sad. So, we threw colors at it and she added some weird varnish to preserve it. And here it is, unique and colorful."

The thing was indeed full of nuances, blue, pink, red, yellow, orange and green splashed altogether on the once upon a time white fabric. Jimmy eyed it one more time and said "That's very cool."

They chatted for a while, standing in the middle of a buzzing crowd, until a staff member told them to get in line for their bungalow attribution.

Both of them squealed with joy when they learned they would share a small woody cabin for the summer, along with a few other boys. They became fast friend with one of them, a nerdy little geek named Winn and soon enough, they formed an inseparable trio.

XXXX

Carter sighed, slightly annoyed. Lucy was telling him again not to eat strawberries and to make sure he always had a shot of epipen on himself. Gently, he tried to say "I know, Lucy, I know." He wanted to add that he wasn't a baby anymore but she already looked so dejected, he didn't say it.

Instead, he smiled at her and told her "I will be just fine, Lucy. You're the one that convinced my mom to let me go, do you remember?"

The small brunette muttered something under her breath and Carter was pretty sure it involved something like "I regret it now".

Looking out the window, Carter saw the lake first, shining under the bright sun of July. It was beautiful and the small cabins around it added something very Disney-ish to the scene. Like it was straight out of Snow White and he half expected to see dwarfs.

Shaking his head with an amused smirk, he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. Curious, he asked "By the way … How did you do that? My mom never let me go anywhere out of her reach …"

The brunette smiled, malice flickering in her beautiful green eyes. "Who say you're out of her reach here?" Carter gave her a not so impressed look and waited for her to actually answer his question.

"Well, I told her it would be a really great opportunity for you to avoid spending the summer in a big city with your nanny, when all of your friends are elsewhere and when she and I would be working all the time." Lucy's voice was somehow edged and Carter narrowed his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Carter El Grant. Your glare might be impressive but may I remind you that I've known your mother for almost thirteen years now?" Lucy was really not impressed by Carter's look and he smiled.

She had always been in his life, for as long he could remember. She worked with his mother but it was so much more than that. She lived with them, in the big London penthouse, helping Cat around without even asking, being there for every birthday, every Christmas or New Year Eve, for every school event, science project, everything. She was, after all, his godmother.

"Yes, I am well aware, Luce." Carter watched as Lucy's lips twitched. She was fighting back a smile and he knew it.

The car came to a stop and suddenly, boys were running everywhere around the vehicle. Luckily, the limo was shielding them from the noise but Carter felt his throat tighten. He was really not used to be this far away from home and for a split second, he wondered if it was such a good idea. Feeling Lucy's green worried eyes boring into the back of his neck, he straightened and smiled with faint assurance.

"This is it. I will see you in six weeks Luce. You are to pick me up at the airport, aren't you?" He looked back at her, eyes suddenly clouded with hesitation.

The small brunette smiled and nodded "I wouldn't miss it"

He grinned and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek before opening the door and getting out of the limo. The driver had already pulled out his set of luggage off the trunk and he waved at the car. The windows were tinted but he knew Lucy was waving back.

Then, the car started to drive away and a voice asked him "Are you Carter Grant?"

He smiled and looked up to say "Indeed I am. Very nice to meet you, Ma'am"

The woman looked surprised for a second but she took the hand he was offering and laughed "My my, you are such a gentleman! Nice to meet you too, Carter. Follow me, I'll show you your bungalow and introduce you to your new friends for the summer."

He took his bags and started to walk along the woman whose name was Susan.

As it turned out, he was sharing a cabin with only three others boys. They were all nice but one of them stood out, offering him a handshake and a perfect white smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Carter. I'm Maxwell, but you can call me Max. I noticed your accent, are you British?"

The young boy smiled widely at him.

He had already started to enjoy his holidays in Camp Henshaw.

* * *

 _Hi guys !_

 _This was the prologue so it's shorter than an actual chapter. Let me know if you liked it !_

 _As for the schedule, I will try my best to update this fic' every week or at least every two weeks._

 _Finally, I'm lost-your-memory on Tumblr. Please, feel free to come and ask about this AU, or anything else ! I would love that._

 _See you around_


	2. Chapter 1

"Come on, guys! We need to win!" Clark's breath was short but there was something ferocious in his voice.

"I'm here!" Winn's voice resounded nearby.

At first Clark blinked, confused, but then Jimmy laughed and he rolled his eyes. Turning his head to look at his friend, he told him "You know what? I'll call you Witt until the game ends so you won't confuse your name with a pep talk"

Clark heard a groan and smiled.

"It's not even my real name. Winn, I mean." Winn sounded sheepish, almost ashamed. Surprised, Clark asked "It's not?"

"Nope. My real name's Winston Junior." The nerdy little boy explained.

"How classy! Maybe too much. I should just call you Winny, you'd be Winny and Jimmy." Clark was half-laughing at his own joke but Jimmy was already shaking with laughter.

"Guys! They're here!" It was a triumphant scream, echoing from somewhere close to their location.

Clark held back a curse and reaffirmed his grip on the gun he was holding. Looking at Jimmy, he told him "Come on, there is no way I'm losing this paintball game"

His friend nodded and waved at Winn to tell him to focus.

They were crouched behind a fallen tree, in the woods surrounding Camp Henshaw. With their full trellis armors, they almost disappeared into the decorum but the other team was dressed the exact same way and it was a real challenge.

Clark was determined to win this game.

He had told Jimmy and Winn, the previous day, that he's been playing paintball since he was old enough to hold a toy gun. His mom had arranged an old barn nearby their house for them to play. She had even created moving targets made of wood and straw, carefully painted to look like oddly shaped humanoids.

It was a really good playground and he was now fully accomplished in the paintball area, even if he had always played with guns softer than the ones in the real version of the game.

"There!" Clark yelled at Jimmy, aiming for a boy behind a tree, four feet on their left.

Jimmy was fast. He aimed for the target and pulled the trigger. He was a pretty decent shot but Winn was even better, probably thanks to all the video games he played.

Two gunshots rang through the air but only one splash of color appeared on the boy's black breastplate. It was yellow and James only had green munitions. Winn stood up from behind the tree, a smug smile on his face.

"I saw him first, I was waiting for him to get closer. Those childish toy guns have a much more limited reach than the regular ones. It's driving me mad!" His voice was filled with something like annoyance but he looked proud of himself.

Clark grinned at him and gave Jimmy a tap on the shoulder. He turned around and waved at the now defeated boy. "Sorry buddy! But there is one more boy left on your team. We need to find him."

Jimmy and Winn followed him through the woods, being very careful to stay hidden and as quiet as possible. This was the most difficult part of the game, finding the last person.

"Maybe we should split up?" Jimmy suggested as they passed a bunch of small trees. His voice was low but it clattered like a gunshot throughout the silence of the forest.

Clark was about to answer but a small movement above them caught his attention.

Suddenly, he recoiled in a jump, yelling at his friends "Step back!"

It was too late.

A gunshot later, Jimmy was plastered with a bright shade of red.

Clark ran to get behind a big tree and then, checked his gun. Poking his head around the tree trunk, he studied the ground. He didn't see Winn anywhere but Jimmy was walking away, shoulders slumped and anger radiating from him. Clark looked up, trying to find the enemy but the trees foliage was pretty dense.

 _Really_ , he thought, _the full trellis armor was not helping._

He needed to regroup with Winn. They needed to be smart as for how they would get to the enemy. Maybe one of them could distract him and the other would shoot but something was telling Clark that the remaining boy was smart. Really smart.

Alright, I can be smart too. Clark's mind was running fast and hard, trying to come up with a solution.

A tap on his shoulder almost made him squeal but then, a hand was on his mouth. He turned around to see Winn and he relaxed, nodding slowly. Winn released him and murmured "Shhh, he's still around. Dude, this guy is good."

Clark's eyes shined with something like anger and annoyance but even he couldn't deny it. The enemy was really smart and strategic. Climbing up and waiting for his target was a good move.

"We need to get him out of his lair."

Winn slowly nodded but his eyes were searching for something above Clark's shoulder.

"I think he's already out …"

Clark felt Winn push on his torso as a red strike passed between us, landing on the tree trunk with a sticky wet sound. He almost fell on his back but Winn caught him and told him to run.

So he ran, holding his gun and zigzagging between trees, plants and coppices. Winn was running alongside him but he paused for a few seconds. Clark backtracked to be with him, confused as to why his friend had stopped but Winn was smiling.

"I'll keep on running but you need to turn around in circle and catch up from behind. Do you understand? That way, he'll be busy trying to get to me and you'll be able to shot him"

Clark frowned for a bit and then, he smiled widely. He told Winn, voice low but proud "You're a genius, Winny. Go, I'll be there soon"

They started running again, in the same direction but at some point, Clark took off to the left and held this cap for a while before turning left again and then one more time. He slowed down just to find the track and then followed it, running faster and faster until he saw two figures ahead of him.

He saw Winn looking back and he waved, still running after the enemy sandwiched between them. The nerdy boy was strangely fast, for someone that small. The other one wasn't able to catch up but he maintained a good speed, probably waiting for Winn to slow down.

Smart move, buddy, thought Clark as he ran faster, reaching his speed limit. Winn ran again for a few minutes and then started to fake a slower rhythm. A few minutes later, he was practically stopped, hands on his knees and breathing with difficulty.

The enemy approached, walking his way to Winn and Clark stopped running, not wanting to be heard. Slowly, he kneeled between two trees and waited. When the boy raised his gun to aim at the nerdy geek, Clark took his shot.

A big, bright splash of blue landed on the back of the boy armor and Winn bursted into a triumphant laughter, practically dancing on his spot. Clark raised a victorious fist and let out a joyful squeal.

"We won ! " Clark yelled as he approached the duo. Winn and he were spotless and the other boy seemed furious. But he didn't say anything as he walked toward the playground exit.

Winn and Clark high-fived and then made their way to the exit as well, chatting happily about their well-earned victory.

They were greeted by their fallen friends, still in their colorful trelly armor. Most of the boy of the other team were splashed with blue and yellow, attesting of Winn and Clark's superiority.

"Good job boys!" The deep, male voice belonged to the director, Hank Henshaw.

He was the one supervising the paintball game. He was a strong dark-skinned man with a broad frame but soft, smiling eyes.

He added, with a sign of his hand "Now take your helmet off, all of you, and shake hands." He was looking at Clark and the last boy with a blue strike on his back, clearly waiting.

Clark raised his hands and took his mask off, shaking his head to free his light brown curls.

A collective gasp echoed, immediately followed by a deafening silence.

Confused, Clark looked up and fell right into deep, ocean blue eyes just like his.

Precisely just like his, like the rest of the face they belonged to. It was like looking into a mirror.

The boy in front of him was … him.

XXXX

Carter took in the sight of those too familiar features, the round edge of the childish chin, the thin naturally red lips, the slightly chubby pink cheeks, the little snub nose and the ocean shade of those shiny wide eyes. Only the hair were different, lighter, a little bit longer and with more nuances of gold.

 _Probably because of all the time spent under the sun_ , he thought.

The deafening silence seemed to last and he frowned. Annoyed, he cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

The director blinked and then told them "Alright, shake of hands, now. Remember, winning is not the important lesson here. Being part of a team is."

Carter reluctantly reached out a hand and the boy in front of him did the same thing.

The moment their fingers touched, he felt a shot of electricity bolt into his arm and he jerked back, eyes widening. He could tell, by the shock etched on the other boy's face, that he too had felt it.

Director Henshaw didn't seem to notice and he looked down at his list, looking thoughtful for a moment. He was obviously trying to figure something out but finally, he gave up and asked "Which one of you is Carter Grant?"

Carter narrowed his eyes at the director and replied "I am."

The man nodded and turned his face toward the other boy, looking quickly at his list before asking "Then I suppose you're Clark Danvers. Congratulations, you and your team just won the paintball game!"

Just like that, the tension was broken and Clark smiled widely, high-fived hands with his friends and raising a victorious fist again. The loud noise of boys happily chatting echoed through the air and Carter walked away, unstrapping his breastplate and dumping it with the others.

He was really annoyed, a little bit mad even, that he had lost.

He was generally a discrete boy, keeping to himself. Some would say he was different. Others would say shy. He wasn't really passionate about anything. At least, not when he was around strangers.

But he was his son's mother and as so, losing wasn't in his genes. He hated it and his mother had told him once that, in order not to lose, he just had to be the best at everything. He knew he couldn't possibly be perfect in every area but regardless, he had tried. Very hard. Losing this game was just a reminder that it wasn't enough.

"Carter! Hey, Carter, wait!" Max's voice approached from behind and he turned around, not smiling at his friend. The other boy seemed to understand and he just stood in silence while the British boy took off the trellis armor and reached for his hoodie.

Eventually, Max broke the silence "He … looks just like you. Dude, he could be your twin brother, it's almost creepy"

Carter snorted and pulled out his smartphone and a pair of headphones, answering in a bitter tone "Don't be ridiculous. Have you seen those ears? The guy looks like Dumbo."

When Max didn't protested, Carter looked up to find Clark standing just next to his friend. His angry face was indicating that he had heard the comment. The dark-skinned boy and the nerdy small one were standing behind him, looking concerned.

"Well. Clearly, you didn't take a good look in your mirror, you look like Pinocchio with that huge nose of your." Clark's voice was furious and his deep blue eyes were burning with anger.

Carter just shrugged and then plugged one headphone in his left ear. With blatant indifference, he unlocked the screen of his phone and walked away whilst choosing a song.

"Are you kidding me? Is he kidding me?" Carter could hear Clark's voice raise, behind him, but he didn't turn around.

Shortly after, he found Max walking by his side, a wicked smile on his lips. Amused, Carter smiled too and offered the other headphone.

They walked to their bungalow while listening to I want to break free, by Queen. Carter had been outraged when Max had told him he didn't knew the band and since then, he took every opportunity to share his playlist with his friend.

Later that day, after dinner, Carter hosted a poker game in his bungalow.

First, he was just playing against his roommates but as the night fell, more and more boys kept coming over, to play or just to watch. Carter was having fun, getting back on top of his game after the paintball debacle.

At some point during the night, as Carter had already accumulated a pretty big amount of money, watches, candy and favors, Clark entered the bungalow.

Wearing jeans with holes around the knees and a superhero t-shirt under a red and black plaid skirt, he walked in like he owned the place, a smug smile on his face. Carter gritted his teeth but didn't say anything.

For a while, Clark just watched the game as Max tried to win his watch back, only losing a Batman comics instead. Carter looked sheepish for a few second but then, his enemy suddenly said "My turn, now."

Carter watched as Clark sat, legs crossed, on the bed in front of him. He pulled out a wallet and took out a few bills, putting it between them.

Unimpressed, Carter just distributed the cards, quickly and with an ease betraying the fact that this wasn't his first rodeo.

For a few games, they both won and lost, evening eachother out. Carter studied Clark closely, searching for his tell. He had to admit, the other boy was pretty good, his face not giving much away.

The thing was, Carter had learned how to play poker with his mother. Cat Grant was a cold, unmovable rock and nothing could ever betray her hand. Never. She was the one telling him all of his tells and helping him get rid off every single one. Afterward, she had demonstrate, with Lucy's help, how to search for those signs, how to recognize and memorize them. Finally, she had teach him how to trick his adversaries, how to come up with false giveaways and forcing the other player into believing whatever he wanted them to.

It was because of all of these games that he could detect Clark's main tell. A strange sparkle in his eyes, not triumph, not smugness, not ego but something like a shade of hope. It lasted if the hand was very, very good but otherwise, Clark seemed able to hide it. Almost.

Carter picked up a card and stayed perfectly still while adding it to his hand. Faking a thoughtful expression, he broke the silence "Let's add something spicy to the stakes of this game. The winner gets to dare the loser. Anything, within reason of course."

Clark narrowed his eyes at him but Carter didn't budge, waiting for an answer. He saw the boy look at the cards in his hand, noticing the strange sparkle in his eyes. Finally, the American nodded and then smiled.

"I think I won, then. Quads of as, kicker king."

He lowered his four as and a king of clubs, clearly proud of himself. Carter stayed quiet for a moment, savoring the smug look on Clark's lips, the way his eyes were shining with triumph and victory.

Then, slowly smiling, he countered "Not so fast, Dumbo. Would you look at my royal flush of heart, first?"

He enjoyed the way Clark's face fell, the victory look and the triumphant smile swept away by five red cards. It was really satisfying and he took his time gathering the money, the candy and a superhero keychain, the bat symbol.

Clark's jaw was clenched when he looked up, fury burning again in those familiar blue eyes. Carter grinned widely at him.

"Now, about that dare …" He was pouring salt into the wound and he knew it. Somewhere on the back of his mind, he heard his mother's voice telling him to always be a fair winner. For a split second, he thought about letting Clark go. But then he shook his head and focused.

"You're going to take a plunge into the lake."

Clark looked almost relieved. Angry, still, but Carter could tell he was expecting something bigger. He added in a sweet, innocent tone "but naked".

Clark's jaw dropped and a collective gasp echoed amongst the other boys. Jimmy and Winn suddenly looked very unsure of themselves, standing next to their dumfounded friend.

Carter watched as his enemy closed his mouth and gritted his teeth, muttering between them "Fine. Let's do this."

The British boy gave him that, Clark didn't even try to get out of it, accepting his fate with both anger and humiliation but accepting it anyway.

The small crowd followed him to the lake. Carter could hear Winn trying to talk Clark out of this dare, telling him it was stupid and that he would catch a cold or something. Clark only shrugged and approached the lake, taking off every layer of clothing.

Finally, fully naked, he sighed and walked over the wooden pier that was reaching further upon the calm water. The lake was as dark as Chinese ink and bright stars were sparkling upon its surface, as well as the glowing moon. It cast a powerful light and from where he was standing, Carter could almost see the deep red of Clark's cheek.

But, true to his word, Clark jumped head first. The British boy then wasted no time.

"Grab his clothes!" he murmured to the others, snatching the shoes from the ground and running away. He was laughing out loud with his friends and he didn't heard Clark yell.

He didn't hear his enemy's vindictive voice promise:

"If it is war that you want, then war you shall have."

* * *

 _Hi guys, early update ! Let me know if you liked it ;)_


	3. Chapter 2

It escalated very, very quickly. By the end of the first week at camp Henshaw, everyone was aware of the raging childish war between the two boys that looked alike.

First, Clark took revenge for the forced skinny-dipping by putting some itching powder in Carter's clothes, using their similar look to make it look like he was Carter, looking for a shirt. The real Carter suffered an entire day before putting all of his clothes in the laundry, borrowing a pair of jeans and a shirt from Max.

Carter used the same trick Clark did to steal all of Clark's underwear, burying them by the lake beach nearby a fallen old tree trunk. Clark was forced to go commando for some time before Carter took pity of him and send a note with the location of the underwear.

Clark stroke last.

It was during the canoe activity, an obstacle race on water with floating tree trunk, outstretched ropes a little above the surface, floating studs and all sort of tricks to make the race harder.

Clark was in a canoe with Jimmy behind him, rowing and steering the boat, and Winn in front, yelling orders.

Carter was neck and neck with them, in the middle of Max and another boy called Non. Clark had laughed at the funny name but now, he was just narrowing his eyes at the boy's large musculature. Carter's canoe was sliding alongside their own on the water and they were going much faster than them, because of this new friend of his.

"Come on Jimmy, surely you can beat Non's ass!" Clark cheered, keeping an eyes on their enemies.

"I'm trying but he's fast and strong and he's not even breaking a sweat!" Jimmy protested, his voice a little short of breath.

It was true. Under the bright sun reflecting on the water, the older boy seemed very comfortable but Jimmy was soaked with sweat and looked a little bit tired. Winn's voice interrupted them "Guys, watch out on the left!"

Jimmy plunged his paddle on the left side of the canoe and twisted it, creating resistance against the flowing water. The boat turned left and they closely avoided a floating thee.

Clark heard a laugh and looked ahead. Carter was first now and the smugness he showed annoyed the American boy.

"There is no way I'm losing to this British brat. Come on guys, we gotta win," he said with a determined tone.

He plunged his paddle and helped Jimmy to go faster and faster, following Winn's indications. Inch by inch, they won some water ground and eventually, they were paddling side by side.

All six of them were angry but focused and, short of Max and Winn's order, only the sound of splattering water could be heard. Slowly, Clark and his team gained ground.

"Floating tree again! We're going straight onto it!" Winn's voice was actually a little bit scared and Max yelled the same thing to his team.

Clark leaned on the right to look at the obstacle and then he smiled wickedly. With a whisper covered by the water sounds, he told his friend "Let's not deviate now. We will lead them right onto it and then turn at the last moment." Winn seemed a little bit unsure and Jimmy frowned but then, Carter and his team took the advantage. The nerdy boy and the dark-skinned one nodded and maintained cap.

It took a moment for Carter to realize they were all going straight onto the obstacle and he yelled "Non, turn!"

But the canoes were hull against hull now, moving fast with the water's momentum. Non couldn't plunge his paddle the right side to turn and Jimmy smiled, because their canoe was just a little behind, far enough for him to plunge his paddle and turn just before the impact.

With a strong thud, Carter's canoe hit the floating tree and capsized, sending its passengers into the lake. They were all wearing safety jacket and they reached the surface pretty quickly, no harm done. Clark raised a victorious fist and yelled over his shoulder "Take that, British boy!"

Minutes later, they were winning the race with a triumphant laugh, under the applause of the boys that had stayed on the beach to watch. After sliding the canoe into the sand, Clark took off his safety jacket and gave each of his friend an accolade, bouncing with joy and excitement.

They were happily chatting when Carter and his team reached the beach, wet from head to toe and looking very angry.

"You cheated" Carter growled, marching on Clark in full fury mode. He pushed a finger into his enemy's torso, forcing him to take a step back. "You send us into the water and that's cheating. This is not a victory, this is just you being a lame, sore loser. You can't stand the idea of losing so you're ready to do anything to win. You're a coward"

Clark had the decency to look ashamed for a split second but then, he replied "That's not cheating. We were both heading straight to that tree. You wanted to be first and you were, it costed you the win. That's all, don't accuse me of being a sore loser when you couldn't so much as talk to me after the paintball game."

Carter saw red and jumped on Clark, fist raised. Lucky for him, Max and Non got to him first and held him back "Whow, you got some anger issues, dude!" groaned Clark, frowning at the wet boy in front of him.

"THAT'S ENOUGH" A strong, firm voice yelled behind them. All of them jumped a little, took by surprise. Six heads spun around to see Hank Henshaw and Susan Vasquez approaching the scene. Clearly, the director was not happy with them and his co-director seemed disapproving too.

He stopped between the two boys and studied each of them with a dark, resolved look. Pointing a finger at Clark, he stated "You put them in danger by letting them hit that floating tree." He turned to point the same finger at Carter and told him "And you, you were going to punch him in the face for what he did. Do you really think that's a solution?"

Carter's eyes were burning with unresolved anger but slowly, he shook his head and looked to the ground.

Turning back to Clark, the director stared at him for a moment and the young boy started to feel uncomfortable, like when his mom grounded him. It didn't happen very often but it was the same feeling here, under Hank's pointedly look.

"You two have some issues to sort out. For the next two weeks, you will be sharing the isolation bungalow and if by then, you're still jumping at each other's throat, you'll stay there for the rest of your time here. Understood?" Hank's voice was low and cutting and he crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

Before either of them could say a word, Susan added "And I will drop by every day to make sure you're not actually fighting. If I see any bruises on either one of you, you'll be sent home without further question."

Carter's face drained of color at that, probably picturing his parent's reaction.

Clark swallowed, visualizing his own mother getting really, really mad at him because he had been expelled from a summer camp. He thought about Alex's reaction and he grew pale too.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by Carter's voice "Fine. I'll try and be on my best behavior."

It was a little bit strained with resentment and anger but his face was neutral and he didn't look at Clark.

"Danvers?" Hank looked at him expectantly.

"Yeah, right. I'll try that too," he answered with a provocative shrug.

Hank arched a brow and Clark smiled almost innocently, trying to get away with it. The director was having none of it and he added "Good. Pack your bags, Susan will be picking you up in half an hour. She'll lead you to the cabin. You are not allowed to see your friends until you're both behaving properly."

Clark and Carter's face darkened at that but they stayed silent, simply going away separately to get their stuff and say goodbye.

XXXXX

Carter looked around the isolation bungalow, feeling very suspicious about the place. It seemed cozy enough, with two beds on different side of the room, a tiny kitchenette in a corner and an open door showing the inside of a bathroom. It was pretty nice, actually, but all of this was strained by the company.

Clark had already started to unpack his things, claiming without even asking the bed under the window, on the right side of the cabin. Carter walked reluctantly to the other bed and sat on it, looking to the main door with a thoughtful expression. He wished he could be at the lake with Max and Non but because of the American boy, he was trapped in here. He sighed and fell back on the mattress, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, a muffled thud echoed in the room and a very loud curse followed. Carter smirked and straightened up on his elbows to watch as Clark swore again and again, jumping on his left foot, the right one caught between his palms. The British boy bit down his bottom lip, trying not to laugh. It hurt as hell, he knew that much. Slowly, he rose from the bed and searched in one of his bag for a stick of balm and he threw it across the room, aiming for Clark's bed.

Surprise etched across the American but he took it anyway, rubbing his foot with it and letting out a small moan of relief. Reluctantly, he thanked him and Carter only nodded.

After that, the silence was a little bit more comfortable.

Three days later, they were talking almost politely, not jumping at each other's throat anymore. Twice a day, for lunch and dinner, Susan would come with food and ask some questions. She seemed satisfied to see that they were civilized and willing to make some efforts but she never stayed long.

"How come you know how to play poker so well? I mean, my aunt taught me but obviously, you've got a better teacher." Clark asked, as he was playing with cards on the table outside the isolation bungalow.

Carter looked up from his book and the slight move made the hammock sway a little. He was laying down into it for the last hour, protected from the sun by two large trees. Amused, he smiled a little and answered simply "My mum is a real pro, she teached me everything she knows. Though, I still can't beat her."

It was the fourth day of isolation and they were enjoying the hot weather, with fresh coke and some pop music playing from inside the cabin. Carter got back to his reading but Clark talked again "She must be very, very good. It is the first time I play against someone better than Alex."

Carter raised a brow, intrigued. Tentatively, not wanting to break the strange truce between them, he asked "Are you living with you aunt?" He looked at is book like he was reading it but he waited for an answer.

"She lives with us, actually. I mean, with my mom and me." Clark's voice rang from afar. Surprised, Carter looked up to see that the American wasn't at the table anymore. "Hey, English boy, do you want some ice cream? There's some Ben & Jerry's stacked in the freezer!" Carter smiled at the excitement he could heard in Clark's voice.

Not moving from the hammock, he yelled back "Sure! What flavours?"

After hearing all the options, Carter settled down for Salted Caramel. He listened as Clark said something about how fancy it was and smirked. Minutes later, the other boy brought him a bowl of ice cream, handing him a spoon. He returned inside only to come back with his own bowl, looking happy. Curious, Carter asked "What's your flavour?"

Clark grinned widely and answered "Duh. Peanut buttah!" He stated this like it was a very obvious choice but Carter made a face, looking disgusted. Clark winked at him and started a new game of cards.

This time, Carter broke the silence "Where do you live?"

Clark answered almost immediately, without thinking "Napa, in California."

Carter blinked and asked "You mean … California like, Hollywood?"

The other boy laughed at that and Carter frowned, almost upset. But the American didn't seemed to make fun of him as he explained "Yes, Hollywood is also in that state, it's in LA, but that's in the south … Napa is a smaller town, between Sacramento and San Francisco. So, way up north"

Carter nodded and then waited a moment before asking again "Do you like it there?"

Clark's smile was wide and soft as he murmured "I love it"

The British smiled shyly, glad the other boy was so open to the discussion. He decided to push his luck "Would you tell me, about your life there? I mean, if it's okay, I don't want to intrude."

Clark blinked at him, probably suspicious but his smile returned and he played card again. "What do you wanna know?"

Carter sighed in relief and closed his book, letting it rest on his belly. "How long have you been living there?"

"Since I was four. We lived in Sacramento with my mom, in a small condo. She's a painter and back then, I think she didn't have much money. She never told me but I know there were difficult times. Then, she got her big break and suddenly, she was famous and rich. She bought this huuuuge house in Napa … It was in ruins but mom got it fixed from the foundation to the roof and it's beautiful now. "

Carter's eyes widened at that but he didn't said anything. He didn't wanted to interrupt Clark.

"I grew up in there. Alex came live with us about a year after mom bought the house and she started a winery, it's pretty famous now. She used to travel a lot but she was always here for the important things. She never missed any birthday or any Christmas."

Carter smiled. The tenderness in Clark's voice reminded him of Lucy, he spoke of her the exact same way Clark's was talking about his aunt.

"Mom is pretty famous too, now. She designed the plan for her studio painting in the house, I think it's my favorite room. It's so huge and so … cozy at the same time. High ceilings with plenty of windows everywhere, the main wall is made of real showing stone and the others are white. I mean, they were. We painted them year after year. Mom used to hang balloon full of paint to the wall and we would throw darts at it. It smells like paint, varnish and coffee."

Carter studied Clark's expression, taking in the shining eyes, the soft smile, the crinkle of his nose and the way his golden curls were moving across his forehead.

"Hi boys."

Both boys jumped a little, turning their head around to see Susan. She was smiling and holding a small bucket of fresh, red strawberries. "I brought you some fresh fruits, do you want some?"

Carter answered first, with a cold tone "I'm allergic, my mum specified this three time over the phone."

He missed the look of surprise that passed in Clark's eyes. Susan's smile fell and she apologized, turning to the other boy to ask again but the American said politely "No thanks, but thank you for thinking of us!"

She nodded and walked away, visibly annoyed by her mistake.

Carter opened his book again and reached for the page he was reading earlier.

"You know, you could have been nicer to her." Clark said in a reprobative tone. Carter only rolled his eyes but didn't answered.

Two pages later, he closed the first volume of The mortal Instruments and sighed.

"Sorry, it's just … I love strawberries and I can't even eat one. It's frustrating." Carter mumbled in a sad voice.

"Yeah, I get that but she's not responsible for that, uh." Clark replied without looking up from his cards.

Carter gritted his teeth but didn't add anything. Instead, he watched as the American sorted out his card and lowered them onto the table. Finally, Clark broke the silence with a question "You live in London, right? How is it there? Is the weather really rainy all the time?"

The British boy laughed a bit and shook his head "No, it is not. It is sometime sunny and hot, you know. Great Britain is a big island and as so, the weather can be erratic. It rains in the morning but then, a warm sun shows up for the evening, along with a blue slightly cloudy sky. It's pretty, really."

Clark was looking at him with a smile, listening very closely. Carter continued "Everything is green and grey, yes, but also red, yellow and blue, it's like a giant painting constantly moving. The light can be dim and dark but there is a sunbeam and it's suddenly bright and sparkling. I love it there, too."

Clark seemed in awe and he asked again "Do you live with your parents?"

The British smiled and nodded "Sort of. I mean, I live with my mum and my mum's best friend."

He didn't see the strange look in Clark's eyes as he kept talking "mum is the CEO of her own company. She works all the time but I got to spend all of my weekends with her and she is always here when I need her. Lucy works with her, as a corporate lawyer. I don't exactly what she does but I know mum couldn't do it without her. She's so great."

When Clark stayed silent for too long, Carter looked down from the sky. The American seemed lost in his own mind. Tentatively, he called "Clark?"

The other boy blinked and returned to the present, asking abruptly "Don't you have a dad?"

Carter tilted his head, surprised by the weird tone, but he answered anyway "No. I have two mothers but I don't know the other one, she left when I was only a baby."

Clark stayed silent again, looking right through Carter. But then, "When is your birthday, Carter ?" he urged with a strangled voice, almost like he was afraid of the answer.

Confused, the British boy blinked and frowned but answered anyway "I' just turned thirteen in June 11th, why?"

Clark's face turned white at that, his expression collapsing into a blank stare. Intrigued, Carter called again "Clark? Are you alright?"

The other boy didn't move. He didn't talk. He didn't even look at him. Slightly worried, Carter rose from the hammock and walked to him, gently touching him on the shoulder. "Clark? Hey, come back."

Finally, Clark seemed to come back to life, blinking fast. His eyes were filled with something like a mixture of hope and fear.

"This is very important, Carter. What's your other mother's name?" Clark was frantic now, almost shaking with excitement.

"Uh … Kiera, I think? I don't know. Mum never spoke about her, I just heard that name when she talked with Lucy one night, I was supposed to be asleep." Carter was watching Clark closely, a little worried by the American strange expression.

Clark frowned and his features were suddenly hesitant and unsure. "Oh … are you sure?"

Carter narrowed his eyes and nodded, still studying Clark.

The other boy was clearly thinking and Carter could almost hear the roaring of his mind, from where he stood.

"Do you have any picture of your other mom?" Clark sounded full of hope. Carter slowly nodded and pulled out his smartphone to search amongst the picture on his icloud account. In front of him, Clark did the same thing.

Finally, they both looked up at the same time and without speaking, they handed the phone to each other.

They gasped, loudly.

Displayed on both screens was the exact same picture.

* * *

Hey guys

I'm just letting you know, there is one more chapter at Camp Henshaw before I'm flying you guys out to London and Napa.  
Also, I struggled a bit to find how to differentiate Cat & Kara so from now on, Cat is _mum_ and Kara is _mom._

I am **lost-your-memory** on tumblr, you can always find me there and ask me things, anything


	4. Chapter 3

"That's my mum" said Carter, pointing at the short blond-haired woman on the right of Clark's smartphone screen.

"That's my mom" replied Clark, putting his finger on the left side of Carter's iPhone screen to designate a tall woman wearing glasses.

The picture was a snapshot of a clearly old photo, one taken with an argentic camera. The two women were standing in a blurry crowd, smiling softly at each other and oblivious to the world surrounding them. The older one, Carter's Mom, seemed almost shy and discreet but the other one, Clark's mom, radiated happiness and love.

Both boys looked at one another, surprise and confusion etched on their faces.

Slowly, Clark broke the silence "So … If my mom is also your mom and your mom is also my mom …"

Carter finished the sentence "It means we are brothers!"

Clark smiled widely but rectified "Duh, not just brothers, we are twins!"

Carter looked totally dumfounded. For all of his life he had dreamed of a brother and there he was, with a perfect twin.

He shook his head and protested "But Clark, this is silly. Surely, my mom would have told me something that big."

Clark bit his lower lip and tilted his head, thoughtful for a moment.

"Let's review our situation. We look exactly the same, our birthdays are on the exact same date, you're allergic to strawberries and so am I, you have two mothers but you only know of one, so do I and finally, there is the picture." Clark held his phone up for Carter to look at it.

The British boy studied the photograph His mum was older now, but she looked almost exactly the same. Except, she too had glasses now, perched on her nose most of the time.

"Where did you find this picture?" Carter asked with an absent tone.

"Buried in a box somewhere in the attic, with some other photographs. Strange tho, it's the only picture I have of my other mother and when I asked mom, she said she had thrown all the others away. She seemed upset, I didn't push for details." Clark sounded sad and Carter reached out to squeeze his hand.

Again, they felt a jolt pass through their arms but Carter didn't let go of his brother's hand. He smiled, giving his own answer "Like I said, mum never mentions my other mother. Lucy gave me this picture one night, I was upset because I wanted to know what she looked like. I remember, when I first saw the photograph, I thought she was too young to be a mother."

Clark frowned and protested "Hey, she had me, I mean us, when she was 21 years old. It's young but not that young, you know?"

Carter nodded, not wanting to upset his twin. After a moment, he asked shyly "How is she? Mom, I mean. Would you tell me about her?"

Clark's eyes shined with joy and love and he tugged his brother's hand to force him to sit down. He sat on the nearest chair and searched for pictures in his phone.

"She's amazing. She's always full of energy, it can be exhausting really. She paints, she draws, she writes too and she drinks way too much coffee, black with no sugar. She sleeps in the morning but she can be up late at night, working on a new project. She's very creative but she sometimes struggle with words, she rambles and rambles and I need to stop her and ask her to think before she talks. She would laugh but she would stay quiet for a few minutes, before talking again. Clearly, this time. It can be really confusing but I'm used to it, Alex is too."

Carter drank every word, listening with raw attention as Clark continued "She's generally like a bright burning sun but some days, she is just sad and distant. She will smile at me like she normally does but I just know she's not really there and I'm used to it too, I just leave her alone and she comes back during the day. Oh, she's totally unable to cook. Not even to save her life, or mine. I mean it, really, she's dangerous in a kitchen. Alex does all the cooking. I like to cook too so I help sometimes."

The British boy laughed out loud at that, picturing a burned dish in a smoking oven. Clark grinned too and finished his description "She's great, really. She made me a paintball ground in an old barn, with painted targets and all. She never misses any school events, Christmas or Birthday and I know, I just know, I can speak to her anytime, about anything, she will always listen to me."

Clark raised his can of coke and took a sip, thirsty after talking so much. Then he turned his attention back to his brother and asked the same thing "And mum? How is she like?"

He saw Carter's eyes soften but there was something sad sparkling inside "She's ...unique."

Confused, Clark frowned but waited for his brother to continue.

Carter sighed and said "She's strong. Mum is strong, that much is certain. She built her own company at the age of 25 and now it's a huge empire. She didn't get there by being soft, or nice, or really fair either. The media are always describing her like a cold, heartless business woman and I'm sure she is, I saw her at work a few times. She's ruthless, bold and she's having none of other people's crap."

Clark arched a brow, perplex. This was not a flattering depiction of a mother but he stayed silent.

"The fact is, she's both a business woman and a mother. The first one can be obnoxious but the second one is… She cares a lot. About me, about my future, about how I feel, all the time. She's always worried but she tries not to show it. She raised me with strong values, like respect, kindness and she told me to stay open-minded, always. She likes to play Settlers of Catan and poker, she's a pro. She says it's okay to be a nerd, that I have to be myself. She absolutely loves to read but she won't say it, because her mother is a book publisher and they don't get along very well. I don't really understand their relationship. Mum has little crows feet around her eyes when she smiles and she loves hugs but she would never admit it. She's very, very proud and fierce and she stands her ground to no end, it's annoying sometimes. She's firm and strict but like your mom, she's here. All the time. I'm her number one priority and I know it. But … She's lonely."

Clark was already in awe by the time Carter finished talking. Hearing the end, however, he asked "Lonely? Why would you say that?"

"It's silly, really. But sometimes, she's just too quiet and it's not the same silence as usual. It's filled with something melancholy. She pretends to be working but I can see her looking through the window too many time. She sighs while listening to some piece of classical music and I never asked why but I know she's sad."

Clark seemed lost in his thoughts for a while, thinking of Carter's words. The British boy drank from his can and studied his brother's features.

It was strange to look at him now, knowing the other boy was actually his brother. His very real twin brother.

Carter's eyes wandered around the light brown curls falling on Clark's forehead. They moved with each shake of head, with every frown and every movement of his nose. Clark had this strange habit to wiggle his nose, pulling his mouth to one side and then the other. A first, The British boy had thought it was a way to get rid of a scratch but then he noticed that Clark was mostly doing that when he was trying to figure out something in his mind, quietly.

"We should switch places"

Carter swallowed and the sip went down the wrong way, making him spit up the coke all over the table. He missed Clark but only by a hair. Coughing again and again and again, he managed to ask "I'm … sorry … what?"

Clark was smirking, clearly amused by the reaction but he repeated "We should switch places. I'll pretend to be you and go to London to meet mum and you'll play me and fly out to Napa to meet mom. "

Carter blinked a few times before looking at his brother with big, wide eyes.

Finally, he busted into hysteric laughter, shaking his head as it was totally ridiculous.

"This was funny, Clark. Good one, I almost believed it for a few seconds." He was still shaking with laughter but Clark seemed dead serious.

The American boy tilted his head to the side and made an expression that was similar to one of a puppy face, with those sad blues eyes and his mouth curled in an inverted smile. Carter was almost surprised by the lack of trembling in Clark's bottom lips.

Unable to stand that look much longer, he exclaimed "Stop making that face, I feel terribly guilty. This is awful, how can you even look that much like a puppy?!"

Clark smirked again, winking as he explained "Alex calls that the Golden Retriever Look. It's a thing, mom does it often too. Alex is totally immune to mine but mom isn't, I can almost get everything with that face."

"I can totally understand, it's infuriating really." Carter was frowning and he opened his mouth to say something but Clark talked first.

"Come on, I'm dying to meet mum and I know you want to get to know mom. This is perfect, we are already so much alike, it will be easy." Clark sounded convincing, really.

Carter shook his head no, arguing "You can't pretend to be me. I'm British, you're … every bit the American boy, aren't you? We don't act the same, we don't talk the same and we don't know anything about each other, yet alone our mothers."

Clark wasn't about to take no for an answer, that much was obvious. Carter watched as his American brother took a deep breath, straightened his shoulder and frowned a little.

"Are you for real? I can totally be you, excuse you. I can say party or clever the British way. I can speak with this annoying posh accent of yours and eat salted caramel ice cream or any other fancy food."

Carter's jaw dropped a little. Clark's impersonation of himself was really good, up to the slight slur on some words. He blinked a few times, choosing not to notice the smug smile on Clark's lips.

"It's easy. We still have about four weeks left in here. You'll teach me everything I need to know and I'll do the same for you. We can even ask for Winn and Jimmy's help. I'm sure Max would also give us a hand." Clark was already planning. Carter suddenly realized that he was serious. Very very serious.

"You actually want to switch places. Okay, that's ridiculous."

Carter shook his head again, firmly this time. "You cannot pretend to be me, especially not in front of mum. She's like a living lie detector, she would see right through you."

The smirk on Clark's lips was suspicious and Carter frowned. He narrowed his eyes at his twin, waiting for him to state his case.

"That's my point, Carter. She will have to send me back and I would make that sad, perfect puppy face asking for her to come with me. That way, she'll see mom again and … well. Who knows?" He was so satisfied with himself, it was really infuriating. With his smug face, those bright eyes and that mischievous smirk, it was hard to resist and Carter could feel his resolve break a little.

"You thought of everything already, didn't you?" It was not a question but Clark nodded anyway, seeming proud of himself.

The British boy stayed silent for a while, after that. Clark seemed to know it was better not to say anything and he watched as Carter looked at the picture still displayed on his screen.

He studied his English twin with a mixture of concern, impatience and hope, fully expecting him to be on board with the plan. But he had learned, over the first two weeks that Carter was meticulous. He needed to know all the facts in order to make a decision and even with that knowledge, he weighed every pros and cons. Clark was way more spontaneous but he remained quiet, letting his brother do all the math he needed to do.

"Alright, let's do that. But Clark, you'll need to be very, very studious. Mum is … She's something. You'll have to pay attention and be exactly like I am, all the time." He was dead serious and Clark could only nod, impressed by Carter's straight face.

They both drank some more coke, each of them lost in their own mind. But then, Clark broke the silence.

"Let's begin!"

 **THREE WEEKS LATER**

"What's mom's favorite ice cream flavor?" Clark asked, while looking at a bunch of flashcards with handwriting on it.

Max looked up from the iPad he was sharing with Winn and Jimmy frowned. They were all gathered around at a table under a tree by the lake.

For the last three weeks, they had studied together to help Carter and Clark be ready for the place switching. Max had helped Clark with the British accent and Jimmy had had a hard time to get Carter to talk like a real American boy. Winn was helping by taking studious, methodical and exhaustive notes he was saving on a cloud account. That way, both boys would have access to everything, even when they'd be separated by an ocean.

"That's a trick question, mom loves every kind of ice cream." Carter was frowning, buying time while searching within his mind for the right answer. He tried "Uh … Chocolate chips cookie dough?"

Clark sighed. "No, that's Alex's favorite. Mom's flavor is Bourbon Pecan Pie and she has it delivered straight from Texas because it can only be found there"

Carter groaned and let his head fell into his hands, tired of learning every single details about his other mother. He drank from his glass, letting the fresh mint syrup going down his throat and playing with the remaining ice cubes.

"Come on, Carter. You need to know that, it's something I've known since I was four. It's not something I could have forgotten over the summer break." Clark was tired but determined.

The British boy grabbed a pen and wrote the right answer down on one of the flashcard. He then asked "What's mum's favorite movie?"

Clark answered without hesitating "Working girl, starring Sigourney Weaver, Alec Baldwin and Melanie Griffith."

Carter smirked and then asked "Good, but what's the movie about?"

Clark's face contorted into a grimace as he half groaned, half sighed. "Uh … A woman who takes her boss's place in order to … uh. She wants to strike a deal and it was her idea in the first place, her boss stole it from her. But she fall in love with her associate during the process, right?"

Carter insisted "Yes, who plays the associate?"

Clark all but shooted "HARRISON FORD!"

The British boy nodded, satisfied, and asked one last question "And what does mum think of this actor?"

"She only saw him in this movie, she haven't seen any of the Star Wars or Indiana Jones. So, she's totally indifferent to him." Clark said with a smirk.

"Good, you're done with the movie part. Let's review the people you need to know" Carter grabbed his iPhone and searched through all of his pictures. He stopped and put the phone on the table so that Clark could see the screen.

"Who's that?" He asked in a very serious tone.

"Katherine Grant, our grandmother, book publisher, egocentric, selfish, always lecturing her daughter about everything, never taking mum seriously. She doesn't drop by often but when she does, she's never announced and mum is insufferable."

Carter nodded and swiped the picture. He searched for a few seconds before stopping on one. Clark answered without being asked "Lucy Lane, mum's best friend even if mum would never admit it out loud. She's a lawyer and she works with mum, like she had for the last twelve years. She's an ex-military, pretty badass but crazy about romcom and love stories. Oh and she makes some funny-shaped pancakes, it's your favorite dish."

Carter smiled fondly at that, remembering Lucy's pancakes.

As far as he could remember, it had always been his favorite dish. She would make them for special occasion and every Saturday and if she wasn't there, she would left pancake batter somewhere for Cat to make them. But it wasn't the same.

"What's mine?" Clark asked suddenly and Carter was forced into the present again. He answered quickly "Alex's chili. It's spicy, hot and full of meat and you could eat the whole plate. She doesn't do it often though."

Winn, Jimmy, Max and Carter all laughed at Clark's sad face.

The nerdy geek boy offered the iPad to Max and then turned to Carter "Okay buddy, I'm going to ask you some questions about your twin brother regarding his pop culture and tastes. Ready?"

Carter seemed to panic for a moment but then he steered his shoulder and nodded. "Let's do this."

"Okay so, what's Clark all-time favorite TV show?" Winn was grinning and Jimmy covered his laugher with his hand.

"Uh … Oh, wait, I know that. The weird yellow things. The Simpsons?" Carter looked at his brother, waiting for him to confirm. He saw the outrageous face of his twin and winked. Winn had shown him a bit of the Simpsons on YouTube and he hated it.

"Why are you calling the Simpsons weird, when you're the one with a favorite tv show about a mad man traveling through time and space in a blue police box, changing his appearance every now and then and ditching his companion when the time comes?"

At that, both Winn and Carter let out a loud cry of protestation, defending Doctor Who with passion but Clark dismissed them with a wave of the hand. Carter's eyes widened and he watched his brother with surprise etched across his face.

"What?" Clark asked, narrowing his blue eyes at his twin.

"You … That dismissal, mum does that all the time." Carter seemed impressed and Clark arched a brow but before he could ask about it, Jimmy said "Okay, next question. What's Clark's favorite kind of music?"

Carter knew that. "Classic rock, Queen above all. Then comes The Rolling Stones and sometimes, Gun's and Roses takes over. But he hates R'n'B and listening to opera drives him crazy."

Clark nodded and then asked "What's mom's favorite kind of music?"

Carter frowned but answered quickly "She listen to classical music sometimes when she paints. Otherwise, she likes pop and mainstream things, with catchy beats and lyrics. That's why she loves Pink and her guilty pleasure is Abba."

Clark smiled while nodding, relieved that Carter knew all of that by heart now. It was details, some minor stuff but it could blow their plan before it even get a chance to start.

Suddenly, Max looked up from the iPad. He was searching for missing information that could be important and he told them "Guys, we don't know what's your mum favorite band or singer. We know she loves classical music and some of the Beatles's earlier stuff but … is that it?"

Carter grinned and explained "Mum doesn't listen to music very often but she has a record player in her home office and a rather large collection of vinyls. Very few people know about it but mum loves, she really really loves, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. She can sing Can't Stop by heart and without a single mistake."

Clark, Jimmy and Max were looking at him like he was crazy but he just smiled. He knew it wasn't something that could be expected from his mother but she wasn't that predictable, sometimes.

Winn broke the silence by saying "Okay guys, now let's see if Carter knows the newfound members of his family."

He grabbed Clark's smartphone and searched through the pictures. "Who's that woman?"

Carter studied the picture and then answered "Eliza, mom and Alex's mother, my grandmother. She makes amazing chocolate pecan pie and she's sweet, fun and a little bit overbearing. She worked a scientist but now she's retired and she travel a lot but she's often here for thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays."

Clark had a certain sadness in his eyes when he asked "And do you remember what happened to our grandfather?"

Carter nodded and murmured "He died in a car accident when you … I mean we, were eight. Alex had a hard time getting over it and it's still a sensitive topic. I can't talk about it."

Clark seemed lost in his thoughts and Carter turned his attention back to Winn, who was searching for another photo.

Finally, he turned the phone back and the British boy smiled "That's Alex. Our aunt, she was in law enforcement but we don't know exactly what she was doing. She quit a year before moving-in with us, you were… I mean I was five. She's badass, she can cook, she can dance, she can sing and she's always, always here. She doesn't fall for my … what is it? Golden Retriever Face and she's way more severe than mom but can be just as fun."

Clark smiled at that and just like that, the tension was broken. Winn swiped to another picture and showed the screen, with a questioning look "And who's that?"

Carter grinned and said "That's Cat, named that after the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. Or at least, it's the explanation mom gave you. I'm sure she called him after my mum short name."

Winn and Max were already laughing but Clark pouted, retrieving his phone from Winn's hand and looking at the picture of the ginger tabby cat. "I didn't even know of this nickname before you told me. Mom don't talk about mum, I heard the name Catherine once but that's all. And you know nothing, Cat is with us since I'm eight and I love him. Technically, it's Alex's cat but you know, since she lives with us … Poor thing, though. Mom painted on him, once."

This time, all of the other boys busted into laughter, even Carter. Clark continued "He was walking under the wall mom uses to test the colors, with balloons full of paint, you know. She didn't see Cat and … well. He stayed royal blue for a while and Alex was really mad and she ..."

They kept talking, sharing anecdotes with each other, going through Winn's notes and working on their accent, sometime taking a break to go play in the lake.

It was that for the two remaining weeks and finally, departure day arrived.

"You need code names" Winn was adamant on that. Carter rolled his eyes in a very Grant way and told him "Why would we need code names, Winny?"

The nerdy boy made a face but answered anyway "Well, let's see. You switched phones so… You have Clark's smartphone, the name of your correspondent will be displayed on the screen. I'm sure your actual mum would totally get why a Carter Grant is calling Clark, who will be pretending to be you."

He seemed to double-check sentence he had just said and nodded when he realized he got it right. The whole switching place was already confusing for everyone.

Standing next to his geeky friend, Clark tilted his head, seeming thoughtful. He was wearing a very clean pair of jeans with a solid grey skirt, buttoned up to the neck. Carter, on the other hand, was wearing a distressed pair of pale blue jeans, with a superhero t-shirt and a denim shirt, matching the pants. He looked as uncomfortable as his brother.

"How about that. I'll be Malcolm Reynolds in my actual smartphone and you'll be … Doctor Who in your iPhone? Let me rephrase it, You'll be Malcom Reynolds to me and I'll be Doctor Who to you." He was grinning now and Winn raised his hand. Clark high-fived him but Carter was looking at them with confusion spread all over his face.

Clark sighed and explained "Malcolm Reynolds is the main character of an old TV show called Firefly. It had only one season because it got canceled a while back. He's pretty badass, smuggler space cowboy and all."

Winn took Clark's smartphone and did some manipulations on it. "Guys, I'm gonna install Whatsapp on both your phones, so you won't have to use the text app and spend a fortune just to be able to communicate."

The twins looked at the nerdy boy with wide eyes. For six weeks they had been witnessing Winn's abilities with technology but the young boy never ceased to amaze them.

When he was finished with Clark's smartphone, he did the same thing with Carter's Iphone.

Finally, he was done and he grinned, asking Carter to call Clark to test something out. Perplex, Carter did as he was told and then, Doctor Who's Eleven theme could be heard, ringing from Clark's pocket. As the American pulled the iPhone out, he could see a picture of a Tardis displayed on his screen and he laughed.

"Now, Clark, call Carter, this should be funny"

Clark clicked on the tardis picture and listened as the Firefly theme started. He leaned over Carter's shoulder to see the picture of a spaceship displayed on the smartphone and he all but yelled "It's the Serenity!"

It took almost ten minutes to explain what was the Serenity to Carter but eventually, they were ready to say goodbye to their friends.

"I added all our numbers on both your phones, you can contact us anytime. Well, mind the time zones but otherwise we'll be here." Winn said as he was hugging Clark, almost crying. Max was saying goodbye to Carter and Jimmy waited to hug both the twins, sad that the summer at camp Henshaw was already over.

Finally, it was just Clark and Carter, waiting for the limo and the bus. Carter seemed relaxed, for once. It was the American boy who was nervous and twitching, jumping from one foot to another, eyes unfocused and bottom lip swollen from being bitten so often.

"Calm down, Carter." The actual Carter said with a smirk, observing his brother reaction. Clark blinked a few times but eventually smiled, amused. The British boy continued "Remember, Lucy is coming to pick you up at the airport and she should lead you straight home but it is a possibility that she will drive you to mum's workplace. If that's the case, don't panic, everyone is wearing a badge with name and function written on it. Oh and remember, you are immune to mum's glare. This won't be easy and you'll want to run out of the room but if I am immune to it, you have to be too."

"Right, right. Immune to that terrifying glare, don't panic, don't run away. Speak with that ridiculous accent, don't watch or listen to anything you wouldn't, eat veggies, don't drink any soda … or fizzy drink? Which one is it?" Clark was really nervous. Carter looked at him and smiled, reaching out to put a hand upon his twin's shoulder.

"Relax, Clark. You'll be perfect, I'm sure. If she asks about your hair, just say you spent a lot of time in the sun and on the water. That's why they're lighter than they were when you left. Okay?"

Clark nodded, studying his brother's features as well. Carter had actually spend a lot of time outside, putting sunscreen oil on his hair for them to lose some of their darkness. It worked just fine, they were exactly the same in every single way now.

"There, here's your limo. My bus is over there. Hug mum for me, would you?" Carter opened his arms and Clark rushed into it, hugging his brother very tightly.

They stood here for a few minutes, until the car hit the klaxon. Clark sighed and let go of Carter, slowly walking backward. Carter offered him a complicit wink and then turned on his heels, putting Clark's colorful bag on his shoulder to carry it easily.

A few hours later, they were both in a different plane, the American leaving the country to go to England and the British one flying out to California.

That was it.

The real adventure could finally begin.

* * *

Alright guys,

This chapter was a little bit confusing I know, I got lost a few times myself.  
Next chapter, I'm flying you out to England and California !

I am **lost-your-memory** on Tumblr, you guys can come and find me there to ask anything or just to talk with me.

 _Reviews are really nice_


	5. Chapter 4

**HEATHROW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT** \- _Morning_

Clark got out of baggage claim in the middle of a massive flow of peoples.

Everyone seemed as tired as he was and he muffled a yawn behind the back of his hand. Carter had told him that the flight would be long and tiresome, even with the first class seat and the lovely on-board service.

He just had picked up all of his suitcases and he was pulling the iPhone out of his pocket when he heard "Carter! Over here, sweetheart!"

It had been hard for him to learn to react to another name than his own. But with the help of Max, Winn and Jimmy, he got it down.

He looked up to find Lucy Lane coming his way. She was exactly like Carter had described her, up to the beautiful and loving smile on her lips. Small but impressive with that halo of authority surrounding her, she had slightly curled brown hair, olive skin and eyes greener than a forest under the summer sunlight. Clark smiled at her and said, cheerfully "Hello Luce!"

For a moment, he had almost forgot to speak in a british accent and he was going to say something very american like Hi or Hey.

 _This is going to be fun_ , Clark thought while hugging the woman. She smelled like pine and citrus and he loved her immediately.

"I'm so glad you're back, I missed you, little Grant." She said before kissing his forehead. He beamed at that and then yawned. She laughed and explained "Alright, let's go home. Your mother will be joining us in an hour or two, I know it's saturday morning but she had an emergency at the office."

Clark looked at her thoughtfully and then asked "Can we go see her at the office instead? That way, we will all go home together."

She seemed surprised and he panicked for a few seconds, wondering if that was unusual. Then she smiled and told him she would love that.

Once in the car Clark looked by the window, admiring London for the first time. Like Carter said, it was a beautiful city, grey and sometimes somber but with splashes of colors here and there. Some bits of blue into the cloudy sky, a little of red for the telephone booths and buses, shades of green at every park and even in some streets, with trees or flower-planters every now and then. Old buildings and new ones were trying to touch the clouds, random people were walking on the streets and Clark smiled, amazed by how welcoming this city seemed to be.

"I should warn you, your mother was … well, let's say she will be absolutely thrilled to see you and to know you're home" Lucy was sending some texts but she looked up for few seconds to wink at him and he grinned. "Why, was she in a bad mood while I was gone?"

He saw the frown and laughed, amused. Carter had warned him about their mother's bad temperament but Clark was sure it was overrated.

 _Alright buddy, this is your moment_ , he thought when he finally got out of the private elevator in his mum's building.

She actually owned an entire skyscraper and the thought was overwhelming for him. The building was somehow recent, made of glass and steel and he couldn't help it but think it was a little exaggerated.

The last floor was where his mum worked, Carter told him that. What Carter didn't told him was how amazing the place looked.  
People were working behind big flats computer screens, several TV were displaying the news from different European countries, phones buzzed everywhere and yet, everything was meticulously structured. It was like watching the inside of a pretty watch, admiring the turning wheels of a beautiful, complex mechanism.

Lucy took a few steps into the space before turning left, heading to what seemed like a giant glass wall. Clark watched as she was about to push one of the two glass door and noticed it was in fact, an office. A huge, well-decorated one, at that. His mother's office.

He took in the sight of the two cream sofas separated by an elegant coffee table, made of glass too. His eyes widened at the wall of screens behind the actual desk. There was at least ten TVs, all showing something different.

Then, a movement caught his attention and he lowered his eyes a little, only to smile widely.

There she was, standing up and coming his way. Very small despite the vertiginous high-heels, surrounded by something magical, she almost looked like an actual fairy. Wearing a full, deep blue, well-tailored women's suit with a flowy white blouse and a sparkling, silvery statement necklace, she was beautiful. Her smile illuminated her face, making his water-green eyes shine and she had wrinkles around it, he noticed. Happy, real, lovable wrinkles.

"Carter, you are back!"

Before he could move, she was holding him in a tight, so very tight embrace and he returned it full force. He was so happy to finally meet his other mother. A few tears escaped his eyes and he tried to muffle a sniffle but she took a step back to look at him, concern etched on his face.

"Oh, sweetheart, are you alright?" She sounded worried and he smiled at her, running a hand over his cheeks to remove the tears. He answered, in a strangled voice "Yes, I am perfectly fine just … I missed you, mum."

He smiled a little wider, savoring the way the name tasted in his mouth. He never called his mom like that, she was just mom but he knew since he was in age to remember that he had another mother, somewhere. Mom had told him that without actually elaborating on who she was, why she had left, why she would leave him.

"Oh Honey, I missed you too. So much. I will never let you go again." She smiled and hugged him again.

"Really, Cat, you can't keep him locked in the penthouse until he turns eighteen." He laughed at that, looking up to find Lucy standing next to the assistant's desk.

Carter had told him that their mother was always, always firing her assistant and every week, if not every day, there was a new one. This time, it was a ginger woman, looking very busy as she was answering the phone while printing something and taking notes at the same time. He arched a brow and asked his new mother "She is new and she seems fairly competent to me, are you planning on keeping this one?"

There was a silence and then Lucy broke it with a laugh that seemed to come from the bottom of her heart. He saw the assistant wink at him before resuming to her multi-tasking but then, he meet his mother's eyes.

 _How on earth am I supposed to be immune to THAT_ , he thought while trying to keep a straight face under the glare. The glare. Carter did warn him but it was something else entirely to experience it.

"Of course she is competent. After all, it is her job to be."

He noticed the sparkles of pride in the assistant's green eyes but his attention returned to his mother, who was still staring at him. For a second, he wondered if he had overstepped but she smiled and said "Your hair is different. I like it."

He beamed at that before telling her about the sun and the lake and he pulled off a sleeve on his arm to show his tan. Then he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to stifle a yawn again.

"I need a few more minutes and then we can all go home." Cat said with a smile. She kissed him on his forehead and then retreated back into her office, already pulling out her cell phone and calling someone. Clark watched her pace the floor in front of her desk, a hand in her pocket and the other firmly clutched around the phone. She walked like she owned the place and Clark realized that she did.

An hour and a half later, Clark discovered the penthouse. Carter had done his best to describe the general layout of it and Winn even had drawn a floor-plan on the iPad. Still, he had to remember not to look impressed. The huge loft was something but the view was another and Clark approached the two story high glass wall, admiring the panorama. He could see almost all of London, from here.

"Do you fancy something to eat or drink, sweetheart?" His mother's voice was soft and tender, he realized he had missed her his whole life.

He smiled and shook his head no, saying he only wanted to sleep. He actually wanted to spend all his time with his newly found mother but he was exhausted from the flight and all the emotions he had faced since he landed.

Carter's bedroom was a little bit too minimalist for him but he loved it anyway.  
It was a big room with three white wall and a tardis-blue one, where there was a long white built-in desk. The other part of this blue wall was two sliding white doors and he knew it was a closet full of fancy clothes, the kind he didn't like that much.  
A bed was pushed against a wall and above the headboard, a poster of the tardis door was hanging. Apparently, it was the theme. Other than the bed, the nightstand and the desk, the only other pieces of furniture were bookshelves. Plenty of them, full or practically full.

"There, Carter. I will be in my office if you need anything. You can sleep as long as you need, tomorrow you can tell me everything about your stay at Camp Henshaw. Sleep well sweetheart."

He frowned and asked her "Mum, where is Luce?"

She smiled and answered, while pressing the button to close blinds to darken the room "She is in her bedroom, she said she wanted to sleep some more before listening to your adventures."

He laughed and walked to his mum to hug her. Her perfume was something strong and unique, with notes of jasmine, lemon and green tea. He could actually smell it but he mostly knew because Carter had told him it was a customized one, created only for her in a fancy French shop.

"I missed you, mum." He said, sleep already straining his voice.

"I missed you too, sweetheart. Now, off to bed you go. I will see you soon." She said with a smile before closing the door.

He smiled and then stripped out of Carter's clothes, searching through the closet to find a pair of pyjamas.

 _Of course they'd be tardis-blue_ , he thought when finally pulling the clothes on. He didn't watched any episode of this show but he was already tired of it.

Getting under the blankets, he grabbed Carter's iPhone and send a text to Malcolm Reynolds "Mum's so awesome, I cannot believe I never met her before. I just cannot wait to learn to know her. Leme know how things are with mom, I'm off to sleep now. Seeya"

Then, he put the phone on the nightstand, turned off the light and fell asleep within minutes.

XXXX

 **NAPA COUNTY AIRPORT** \- _Around noon_

 _How can people even breathe in this country!_ Carter thought when he first stepped out of the small plane in Napa's airport. Clark had explained to him he had to take a main flight to Sacramento and then take another flight to Napa, in a small plane with a few passengers.

He was finally in California and he was suffocating under the hot, thick and windless air of August. Following the flow of people unboarding the plane, he retrieved the colorful bag containing all of Clark's clothes.  
The American boy had made a funny face seeing the fancy clothes Carter had brought with him at Camp and the English boy was not really fond of those distressed jeans and t-shirts with too many pictures or colors on them but he liked the hoodies. They were comfy, even if now he knew he wouldn't be needing them for a long, long time. California was way too hot for him.

Finally, he got out of the custom area and he heard a loud and cheerful voice call for him.

"Clark! Over there, Little Danvers, come and give me a hug."

He searched through the crowd to see Alex, arms open and smiling widely at him. For a second, Carter was confused by the name and by the fact that Clark had told him his mother would be there. But he smiled anyway and launched himself into Alex's embrace, truly happy to finally meet his aunt. She was small but still taller than his mum, with brown hair with red undertones cut in a long bob, bright sparkling green eyes and freckles on her nose and the apples of her cheeks. Her skin, tanned by the sun, made her eyes shine greener than an amazonian forest and her voice was somehow tender, despite the natural authority echoing in her words.

"I've missed you, little Danvers. Now come on, let's bring you home. Your mom is waiting for us." She said while taking the colorful sport bag in her hand, sliding her other arm around her nephew's shoulder. "She was supposed to be here I know, but she got a phone call from Astra, you know, her manager. Apparently, someone is interested in buying one of her painting and she needed to sort out the details. I think she's still on the phone. She was so upset, I had to tell her it was fine, that she'll see you as soon as I get you home."

Clark had told him their mother was pretty driven by her art and work but he also said that she would always put her son before anything else. Carter was a little sad but he got over pretty quickly, listening to Alex as she was guiding him through the parking lot to a red, dusty SUV.  
"Are you hungry? Do you want to stop at In-N-Out on the way?" Alex asked as the engine roared a little bit too strongly. Clark had warned him about Alex's love for speed but he didn't mind, it was a nice change from the slow and careful driving of Lucy Lane.

"Please yes, I'm starving!" He all but squealed, his stomach grumbling at the thought of a burger. He was thankful for Winn's input on the knowledge he should have of food and pop culture and all of this american's stuffs, because otherwise he would never have known what In-N-Out was. Clark had told him his usual order and added that he liked almost anything.

An hour later, he was devouring a huge, greasy burger and a side of French fries, Alex laughing at his monstrous appetite.

"Soooo. Tell me, baby Danvers." He groaned at the sweet name but she only laughed. Clark had told him she loved to mess with him, that was just the way their relationship was. She acted like that with Kara too. "How was the first part of your summer? Did you meet some nice people? Did you get a chance to play poker? I'm sure you robbed them blind."

Carter was going to say that he had won but he remembered he was supposed to be Clark. That mean he had to tell he had lost the game. He made an angry face and mumbled in a perfect Clark way "Nah. I came across someone better than me. Didn't even knew it was possible. He forced me skinny-dip in the lake. I owned him at paintball tho."

For a moment, Alex stayed silent and he eyed her curiously. He was internally laughing because he had won the game after all, but Clark didn't. He was starting to find this whole 'switching place' thing really funny.

Suddenly, the car echoed with Alex's laugher and he pouted a little without even thinking. She managed to say, between two burst of laugher "I can't believe you lost a poker game. How was the other boy? He must have been really good, I've taught you everything."

Carter wanted to smile but he instead, he pouted a little more and groaned "He was the best. In fact, I'm not sure if you could have beat him out." He finally smiled mischievously, hearing Alex let out a loud, unconvinced sneer. "Invite him over, we'll see about that."

For a few seconds, Carter panicked, realizing he didn't have a clue as how to answer that. Finally, he opted for an alternate version of the truth and said with a shrug "That might take a while, since he lives in Europe, somewhere in England. Can't remember the name of his small town, tho"

Alex arched a surprised brow. "Really? It's a long way from home for the little guy. What's his name?"

Carter nearly choked as his burger went down the wrong way, his mind roaring too fast to come up with a solution for that question. Coughing to find his breathe, he finally answered "Sorry, wrong way. Hum. Rory, his name is Rory."

"Sounds British indeed. Are you still in touch with him?" She asked, passing by a slower shiny blue pick-up. He picked up a few fries before nodding "Yeah, he gave me his number but since we are on different time-zones and texts are too expensive, I think I'll be in touch mostly via skype or even e-mails."

They kept talking about his trip to Camp Henshaw and he was already in awe because Alex was so funny and sarcastic and she had that strange mixture of american and british sense of humor, it reminded him of home. She was, like Clark had told him, a very good listener, very intuitive, guessing much from very little and reading between the lines.

It took almost three hours but finally, he looked up as they drove under a huge archway just like he had seen in some western movies. The road kept going, a little bit damaged but otherwise pretty clean. Fields of vine were everywhere, very well groomed and surrounded by trees and flowers. After one last swerve, he could finally take a look at the house and he gasped.

It was a huge house, tall and large and with some spanish elements such as the patio and the huge porch running almost all along the wall. Many glass doors and windows were reflecting the bright, hot sun and he smiled.

"Home, sweet home!" said Alex while parking the SUV right in front of a few steps, leading to the deck and then the main entrance of the house. Clark had to tell him several times, how the house was arranged. He was used to the penthouse which, while huge, was way smaller than this big house with too many rooms.

He was just getting out of the car when a squeal echoed behind him and he turned on his heels, surprised and a little bit warry.

His mother was exiting the house and he held his breath.  
She was tall, even barefoot in a pair of distressed jeans with splashes of paint and a pale blue shirt with two button undone. Her smile was giving the sun a round for its money, the perfect, bright blue of her eyes being the sky. The long golden strands of her hair were freely cascading over her shoulders and only maintained behind her ears by a huge pair of black sunglasses pushed back on the top of her head.

Before he could say anything, she had locked her arms around him and he was drowning in the scent of paint, varnish, flowers and wood. It was overwhelming.

"I missed you soooo much, buddy! No way you're going back again next year." Her voice was both determined and excited, she was practically vibrating from it. She kissed his forehead and then messed with his hair, smiling widely.

"So, tell me everything, how was it? Did you make some friends over there? Are you hungry? I think Alex left a bowl of chili for you." She was talking a little bit too fast and she stuttered the last sentence. Clark had told him to be patient with her, because sometimes she would just have too many things to say at once and it wasn't getting out of her mouth fast enough.

He smiled at her and hugged her tightly, so happy to finally meet her. Her perfume made it all too real and he closed his eyes, leaning against her shoulder, breathing into those different fragrances.

"Aaaw. Come on buddy, let's go sit down on the swing, I want to know all of your adventures in Maine." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder and motioning him to the backyard, where an old, wooden swing seat was hanging under a rather large oak tree. He walked with her, talking about everything he had done in Camp Henshaw, telling her about the paintball game, the lost poker game, the friends he had made, the staff, the lake, everything.

Alex joined them after a while, telling him his bag was on his bed and that he could unpack later. She layed down on the burnt grass and crossed her arms under her head. He kept talking and he didn't even notice the sun going down and the light changing around him.

Finally, Alex stood up and said "Alright guys, I'll go make dinner. Kara, will you help our little buddy to unpack?"

Kara blushed and answered no, saying she had a phone call to make. He eyed her curiously but followed Alex into the house, while Kara stayed on the swing. Curious, he asked her "Who is she calling?"

Alex made a face and shrugged, saying "I don't know buddy, I guess you'll have to ask her over dinner."

He raised a brow, because he could tell she was lying, but didn't push it, slowly climbing the stairs instead. In the corridor leading to his room, he saw a cat and let out a laughter remembering his name.

"Hello Cat. I'm pretty sure I know where your name come from, you know?" He reached out to pet the animal but the ginger tabby cat bristled and showed his teeth. Carter quickly took a step back and pouted. "Alright, you and I are going to act like we are friend, because it would be weird if you suddenly hated me. Right?"

The cat took off, heading toward the stairs and the young boy sighed, before pushing his bedroom door.

It was messy and full of colors, posters hanging on the wall in different positions, one over the other, on the closet's door, on the bathroom's one too. The desk was practically invisible, under the stack of papers and toys and stuff, books and comics were discarded on the floor, some on them piled on the side of the huge French window. He looked at the balcony with interest but what caught his attention was the wall beside the bed. This one was bare and white, with the exception of the huge Captain America Shield painted just above the pillow. He approached the painting and admired the work, impressed by the details and the realistic impression.

Finally, he pulled out his cellphone and opened Whatsapp. Clark had send a message already. He taped the Tardis's picture and read it, smiling at the comment. He fired off his own message next, "Mom is truly impressive and amazing too. I already love Alex so much. Although, your cat doesn't like me very much. I need to get downstair for dinner, talk you soon."

He then threw the phone on the bed and left his bedroom, really eager to spend time with his mother.

* * *

 _Alright guys,_

 _How was the meeting with the mother ?_

 _I'm_ **lost your memory** _on Tumblr, come and find me there !_

 _Reviews are always nice_


	6. Chapter 5

**NAPA** \- _Somewhere around dinner time_

"Mom? Who was that? On the phone I mean?" Carter asked while passing a plate for Alex to serve him some chili.

They were gathered around the huge wooden table of the dining room and it smelled really good. Carter's stomach growled and rumbled, the burger he ate around noon long forgotten by now. He had to sound excited and joyful for the chili, because it was Clark's favorite dish, but it was genuine. He was truly impatient to taste it and to make an opinion for himself.

"Hum, errr, no one." Kara said, eyes darting everywhere but at her son, cheeks blushing furiously and a soft smile curling her lips. Carter arched a brow and Alex sneered.

"Really? So, no one is making you act like a fangirling teenage girl with a crush. That's good to know" The short haired woman said before sitting down on her chair and grabbing a fork. Carter chuckled and turned his eyes to his mother, whose face was now deep red.

"Alex, leave it alone." Kara mumbled between gritted teeth. She then started to put food in her mouth in order to avoid having to talk. The British boy's eyes were going back and forth between the two women, noticing Alex's angry glare and Kara's evading attitude. There was something off about the whole situation but he was new to this side of his family and still adjusting so he had no idea of what the problem might have been. Clark could have guessed, maybe, but he couldn't.

"I missed your chili, Alex. It's soooo gooood!" He said as an attempt to dissipate the tension around the dinner table. It worked, Alex smiled and asked him if he wanted more food. His plate still being half full, he wanted to decline but he knew Clark would say yes so he nodded. The short haired woman served him and then asked Kara the same question.

"No thanks, I'm good" Kara said with a smile.

Alex shrugged and sat down, finishing her plate in silence. Carter started to feel slightly uneasy, between his aunt, his mother and the silence that filled the room again.

"So, mom. How's the painting going these day? Did you finish the one you were struggling with when I left?" Carter tried again, wanting to break the silence. Clark had told him Kara was working on something before his trip at Camp Henshaw, a painting involving blue and green but that was all he knew.

Kara's eyes lighten up, a smile brighter than the sun coming across her lips and she started to explain how the work was going.

Carter drank to every single one of her words, amazed by the passion and excitement in his mother's voice. She gestured while talking, wide and fast moves that nearly caused her to topple her glass of wine but she caught it at the last moment, never stopping her chatter. She sounded so involved in her art, so driven and so, so happy, Carter just beamed at her.

"Sorry to interrupt but Kara, your phone's been vibrating for almost ten minutes now." Alex's voice was as sarcastic as her arched brow and Carter winced a little. Kara was still engrossed in the painting discussion, it took her a few seconds to realize what her sister was talking about.

"Oh, right, sorry. I need to take that, I'll be back." Kara said, standing up, grabbing her phone and walking out of the room. Carter saw her stepping over the terrasse, a huge smile stretching her lips.

"Okay, WHO is that?" He asked, turning his attention to Alex. She shrugged again and mumbled something he couldn't hear. Annoyed, he asked again, only louder this time.

"Clark, buddy, I can't tell you that." Alex sounded like it was the end of the discussion but he insisted.

"But WHY? Why won't she tell me and why wouldn't you either? Who is this?" He was a little angry and it echoed in his voice. Alex threw him a funny look and for a few seconds, he wondered if the real Clark could act this way. He decided he could try and blame that on the two flights to come home, the jet lag, the summer away and the exhaustion he started to feel in his bones.

She seemed to think the same thing because she gently said "Buddy, you need to get some rest. You look really tired."

He narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his jaw. Accusingly, he stated "You're eluding."

She laughed but she nodded, not trying to deny it. "Clark, it's not my story to tell. I'll ask your mom to tell you, tomorrow. In the meantime, you need to rest. Go upstair, I'll bring you a bowl of ice-cream for dessert and then you can go to bed"

And with that, she gathered the plates to take them into the kitchen, leaving him alone in the dining room.

 _The nerves_ , he thought as he was stomping up the stairs.

He undressed in his bedroom, searching for a pair of pyjamas and rolling his eyes at the Captain America shorts and t-shirt he found on the closet. He put it on nonetheless, walking over to one of the two French window leading to the balcony.

It was warm outside, with a soft breeze blowing from time to time. The sky was very clear and he could see the stars, burning bright around a crescent moon. On the horizon line, the day was still falling, orange fading into a lighter blue and then darkening to let the night fully settle in.

"Stop it, you're making me blush!" Kara's voice was distant and muffled but he could still heard it. She really sounded like a teenage girl acting weird and gushing about a crush, he thought while approaching the balcony rail. Leaning over it, he searched through the obscurity to find where was his mother.

She was back on the swing down in the yard, under the old oak-tree. In the quiet of the night, her voice was loud and blunt and he couldn't miss a single word she was saying "No, I haven't told him yet. He just came back from six weeks away, I didn't want to startle him with that. I'll talk to him soon, I promise."

Carter narrowed his eyes, not liking the tone his mother used. It was secretive and a little guilty. She was clearly talking about him and he had no idea who was the other person on the phone but he had a bad feeling about them.

A knock on his bedroom door got his attention and he reentered his room, inviting Alex to come in.

She pushed the door with her foot and walked over to the desk, setting down a tray loaded with two bowls full of ice cream and two cans of coke. Handing him one bowl, she said "There you go, one bowl of peanut buttah ice cream and one with …"

He finished for her "chocolate chips cookie dough flavored ice-cream!"

She smiled and high-fived him with her free hand. They chatted while eating the ice cream and Carter chose not to ask again who was on the phone. He just knew his aunt wouldn't answer him, she was very stubborn. Clark had told him it was Alex's strongest trait.

Finally, she kissed his forehead, wished him goodnight and left the room, bringing back the tray with empty bowls and cans with her.

Grabbing his phone, Carter returned on the balcony and sat down against the wall, between the two French windows of his room. He listened to his mother while typing a message for Clark, on Whatsapp.

"I miss you too. When do you plan to come over again?" Kara said with hope in her voice. Carter couldn't hear the answer but from his mother's next sentence, he could guess it was not soon. Whoever it was didn't plan to be here so soon and Kara sounded disappointed.

"No I get it, you're busy I know. Just tell me when you can be here, that way I can talk to Clark first." Carter noticed the slight hesitation in Kara's voice. He didn't know what to make of it, though. Was it because she was afraid to show him or the other way around, he had no clue.

He read the text he had just typed.

"Clark, mom is acting weird. She was on the phone with someone before dinner and then after, I am positive it's the same person. She's currently still on the phone, I'm listening to her from the balcony of your bedroom. Clark, it's not good. She sounds like a giddy schoolgirl, she blushes and smiles weirdly and she refuse to tell me who it is. I could use some help, how do I make her talk?"

He fired the text off and then listened to the conversation his mom was having with someone else. He fell asleep along the way, waking up at 1AM only to notice the thick silence around him. Yawning and mumbling under his breath, he headed off to his bed and fell back asleep, almost instantly.

XXXX

 **LONDON** \- _around 2:30 PM_

"Who is Malcolm Reynolds" asked Lucy, handing the iPhone to him over the kitchen's island.

Clark swallowed his bite of pancake and took the phone, smiling at her "It's one of the american friends I met at Camp Henshaw. You know, the one I beat at that poker game I told you about?"

Lucy frowned and made two mores pancakes before asking "Is it his real name?"

Clark quickly put another piece of pancake in his mouth, buying himself some time to think about a name to give. Glancing sideways at his mother, he noticed she was reading an economical magazine while sipping at her tea. He narrowed his eyes at her and his mind suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Alex" he answered after finishing his pancake, discretely observing his mother. He saw her look up for a second, an indescriptible shadow darkening her eyes for a second. But it was gone as quickly as it came and he added "I mean, it's Alexander but everyone was calling him Alex."

Lucy put another pancake on his plate and asked again "Why is he registered as Malcolm Reynolds on your cell, then?"

He smiled and explained "He was always, and I mean ALWAYS talking about that american TV show that had been canceled years ago, about a pirate cowboy traveling through space to rob the good guys and help the poor. I just thought he was a futuristic Robin Hood but Alex is a giant fan of this universe and so I called him like the main character. Can you guess who I am to him?"

Cat answered that without even looking up from his article "Doctor Who"

Lucy extended a hand and Carter high-fived her, smiling widely.

"Okay sweetheart, do you want some more?"

Cat closed her magazine and arched a brow "Why are you spoiling him like that?"

Lucy almost pouted at that but then she shrugged and said "I missed him. What, am I not allowed to treat him a bit?"

Clark could see the corners of his mother's mouth twitching and he knew she was fighting back a smile. She tried to look severe and told him "No more pancake for you, young man. Why won't you put some clothes on and then we could go to the british museum, you are back just in time for that medieval exposition you wanted to see."

Clark had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes, slightly annoyed by Carter's egghead side. He didn't want to go to an old and dusty building and watch a bunch of inanimate objects he had absolutely no interest in.

 _Think smart_ , he thought while tilting his head to the side, searching for a solution.

It was now raining outside and the city seemed darker under the low grey sky. He bit down his bottom lip and then asked "Actually, I would love to go on a tour around the city. I missed London, America is such a strange country …"

Cat smiled at that and Lucy laughed but both agreed to the idea.

They cleaned the kitchen together and then Clark went to his room, searching for clothes. He managed to find a pair of blue pants and he went deeper into the closet to find a decent hoodie. He put in on, despite being skeptical at the weird shade of dark grey.

He was trying to find a comfortable pair of shoes when he had an idea. Grabbing his iPhone, he searched through Winn's note to find the part where each of the twins has shared what they had asked their respective mother about the other one. He narrowed his eyes at the lack of information he needed, internally cursing at Carter for that.

His own mother refused to speak about Cat but at least, she had told him he wasn't adopted. She said he was very wanted and that they were both his mothers. He was young and he didn't know how it was possible but now, he wanted to ask, to know. He fired off a message with Whatsapp, letting his brother know he was about to question their mum about his birth and the fact he has two mothers, that he will put it in the note afterward.

"Carter, are you ready to go?" Lucy asked from behind his bedroom door.

"I'm coming, yes."

He exited his bedroom, smiled at Lucy and asked about his mother. The short brunette answered something about Cat getting ready to leave the penthouse and soon enough, the sound of heels against the wooden floor echoed across the loft.

Clark looked up and saw his mother coming into view.

She had changed, no longer wearing her deep blue women's suit but rather a pair of skinny black pants, a silky burgundy blouse and a black blazer with white trim around the cuffs and the collar. A pair of classic Louboutin's stilettos was causing the reverberating sound across the walls and added something almost regal to the picture.

He grinned like a fool. Carter had told him about their mother's fashion sense and even if, as a young boy, it was something he didn't pay attention to, seeing his mother looking so powerful and confident was something he truly enjoyed. It was a drastic change from Kara's distressed or no-fuss style. His younger mother was just casual and very very natural, staying true to herself in any situation. Sometimes, she would wear something nice but even on those occasion, she was true to herself, nothing too fancy.

"Are you ready to go?" Cat asked as she grabbed her purse and cellphone, looking at the both of us with a perfectly arched brow.

Lucy and Clark answered as one voice "Yes!"

Cat smiled and called for the elevator.

An hour later, they were in Lucy's car and Clark missed Alex's driving style. Lucy was so careful and reasonable and slow. So very slow.

He enjoyed the ride nonetheless, admiring London through the car window and asking questions, careful not to ask anything too obvious.

The small brunette dropped them at the end of Oxford Street, saying she would call and join them later.

Cat and Clark walked alongside the fancy stores, chatting about everything and nothing and stopping at a tearoom to buy cups to go and a scone. Clark had no idea of what to order but his mother asked if he wanted the usual and he nodded. Then, she offered to take a cab to go to Hyde Park and he almost jumped with excitement, remembering how Carter had described the park.

Finally, they were roving the well-manicured pathway of the park, enjoying the relative quietness, the green grass, the bloomed flowers and the dense trees above their heads. It had stopped raining somewhere in the middle of the cab ride and the air smelled almost fresh and clean, with a hint of dust.

"Mum? Can I ask you something?" Clark turned his head to look at his blond haired mother. She was sipping her cup, silently enjoying the warm and flavourful liquid. She arched a brow and nodded, curious as to what he wanted to ask.

The young boy swallowed thickly and took his time, knowing she wouldn't push him. Carter was like that, never rushing anything and for once, Clark was glad for that attitude. Taking a sip of his own tea, he held back a groan. He was never particularly fond of that British drink and the one Carter liked was not sweet enough for him. He drank it anyway and then took a deep breath before starting.

"As you already know, I made some friends across the ocean and eventually, we ended up talking about our family, our siblings and our parents." He said, watching her closely. He saw something flickers in her eyes but she stayed silent, waiting for him to pursue. "Most of them were very curious when I said I have two mothers. I was about to explain that I only know of one when my friend Win...ston, I mean Winston, asked if I was adopted."

He saw his mother jump a little, eyes wides and full of shock. He didn't give her the time to say something, quickly adding "Now, I was surprised and I wanted to know why he asked that and he said two women couldn't have a baby together. I mean, I already knew that, it's plain and basic biology but it occurred to me that … I didn't even know what to say to him. Mum, I know I never asked you anything about my other mother because you never wanted to talk about it but … Am I adopted? I don't think so but, I don't even know if I am your son or my other mother's son and ..."

Clark didn't even have to fake being upset, he really was.

He couldn't blame his British mother but he was angry at his American one for never really elaborating about his birth. Now, Kara had told him he wasn't adopted, he knew that. Only, Carter never asked his own mother about the circumstances surrounding his birth. Maybe he should have.

Cat seemed really shocked by that outburst and by the way he was now clenching his fists to fight back the tears welled up in his blue eyes. Noticing a bench a little further down the pathway, she put a hand on his shoulder and lead him in that direction. She gently forced him to sit down before starting to pace in front of him. Clark knew it was her way of dealing with important question, to gather her thoughts and to build up an answer. She paced a lot.

"Alright sweetheart, you need to listen to me." She said, voice straight and strong, determined. "First of all, you are not adopted and you are every bit my son. Second, I realize you are growing up and I owe you some answers. I won't tell you everything but I will try to be as honest I as can. Do you have any specific question you'd want me to answer to?"

He studied her face, searching for a tell she will try and avoid that conversation but she seemed very sure of herself, looking right into his eyes. So he asked.

"If I am not adopted … Then what am I ?" He knew it was clumsy but he didn't know how to articulate the question.

She laughed and then answered "You are my son. Now, I have to warn you, this might be uncomfortable for you. I assume you already know how babies are made, am I right?" Clark nodded, blushing a little.

Alex had explained that to him after he had been confused by Kara's poor attempt to answer his question about babies. She tried to use the birds and bees analogy and it had been a disaster, so Alex took over and explained seriously. However, he had no idea how Carter would know about how babies were made.

"Then, you know that in order to make a baby, an egg from a woman is needed, as well as sperm from a man. It's exactly what happened when we decided to have a baby. We called an anonymous donor for the sperm, we used your other mother's egg and I carried you for nine months. That way, we were truly and really your mothers, both of us. We are your mothers, Carter. You were very wanted, you know."

She smiled fondly, her eyes shining with a mixture of tenderness and sadness.

Clark, for his part, could feels his cheeks and ears burn, probably deep red because he was still a young boy and that was really uncomfortable for him to hear. He was glad he asked nonetheless, because now he knew about his birth, even if his mother kept the twin part for herself.

That last thought gave him an idea and he asked "Why did she leave? I mean, my other mum, why did she abandon me?"

Just like that, Cat's face closed off. She frowned and sipped at her tea, obviously refusing to answer. Clark was about to insist but a soft ringtone echoed and Cat pulled out her smartphone, answering immediately.

It was Lucy, asking about their location. Clark just knew the moment was over and he absentmindedly put his cup to his lips, drinking his tea while wondering about the sudden change in his mother's attitude.

Almost ten minutes later, Lucy joined them and filled the air with her constant chat and joy, carefully chosing to ignore Cat's silent mood.

 _It's going to be a lot of work, to get her to talk about Mom_ , Clark thought while listening to Lucy, never removing his eyes off his mother.

* * *

I am sorry I'm very late, guys !

I usually update that story on another fanfic website but I thought I'd post it here too.

I hope you like the new chapter, now you know how the boys were born.  
Again, I am **lost-your-memory** on Tumblr, I'd love to see you there !

 _Reviews are always nice_


	7. Chapter 6

**THE NEXT DAY**

 **SUNDAY**

 **NAPA** \- _Around 10 AM._

Carter woke up to the irregular buzzing of the smartphone he had put on his nightstand before falling asleep. Groaning and grumbling his discontentment in French, he reached to grab the annoying item and opened one eyes to look at the screen. Eight whatsApp notifications from Doctor Who. Sighing, he muffled a yawn and popped the app open to read the texts, blinking to chase the slumber that was still tangled in his eyelids.

 **DW :** I will talk to mum about the circumstances of our birth, I'll put that in the notes after.

Carter arched a brow and looked at the time the text was sent. A few hours ago, around the time he fell asleep on the balcony. Around 3 PM in London, then. The next texts were sent 2 hours later, around 5 PM for Clark.

 **DW :** Dude, that tea you usually order on that shop near Oxford Street is disgusting, I have no idea how you can drink that.

 **DW :** Literally, it's just hot water with a bittersweet taste and my mouth feels like dirt!

At this one, Carter rolled his eyes and groaned louder, falling backward in his bed and moving his hand so he could keep reading.

 **DW :** You were right, tho, London is beautiful.

 **DW :** By the way, what do you mean mom won't talk to you? You are me, so of course she'll tell you everything.

 **DW :** Beside, mom cannot, for the love of her, keep a secret. She ruined so many surprise parties, it's common knowledge amongst the family now. She just can't.

 **DW :** She can't be secretive, you just have to ask her. You might want to be blunt, mom can have a little trouble catching hints sometimes.

Carter closed his eyes and groaned, mumbling under his breath "Geez, thank you for the advice, it's not like it was the first thing I tried …" He scrolled through the conversation to read the few last messages before closing the app to open the Cloud account and see the notes Clark had added. It was detailed enough so Carter could picture the whole conversation and the final note about Cat closing off when asked about the separation made his heart ache.

His mum never talked about Kara, never. He was eavesdropping the only time he actually heard her say something about a girl named Kiera and the tone she used was sour and cold, clinical.

It made him think about what could possibly have happened for his mother to be like this. Who's fault was it?

A weird scratching noise took him by surprise and he looked up from his smartphone. He got out of the bed and walked across the room to open the door, Cat was here, sitting down in the middle of the doorstep and looking up. Carter noticed the damaged wood around the lower part of the door and said "Well, hello to you too, good sir."

The cat narrowed his green eyes at him, wary but not running away. Finally, he moved to go inside and to climb up the desk chair to curl up here, eyes still focused on the stranger in the room. Carter shrugged and closed the door before returning to sit on the bed, grabbing his smartphone to look at the time then.

He took a quick shower, put on a pair of shorts and a super hero t-shirt, ran a hand in his messy hair and put his smartphone in his pocket before going downstair, his stomach growling with hunger.

A few minutes later, as he was sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, his stomach grew quiet. The plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, the toasts, the peanut butter, strawberries jam and the fresh watermelon juice, along with the hot cocoa, weren't really his idea of a breakfast. Used to Lucy's pancakes, a bowl of fresh fruits, a cup of tea and a glass of apple juice, he found himself slightly disgusted by the food displayed in front of him.

Alex was moving around the other side of the counter, in the kitchen. She was singing along with the stereo, an old Rolling Stones hit, but from time to time, she asked him if he needed something else. She had welcomed him by putting the bacon and eggs in front of him and saying "Eat up champ', most important meal of the day, remember?" He had forced a smile and nodded.

Finally, he opted for the less unappealing food and he spread peanut butter on a toast, adding jam on the top of it. _Ew, this is disgusting_ , he thought while chewing on a bite, swallowing it with difficulty. At least, the juice was fresh and not that bad, he finished his glass before trying to eat half of a toast.

He failed and put the bread back on the plate, jumping off the stool and walking to the french doors in the living room. Alex called after him "Clark, you didn't eat anything! Your bowl of cocoa is still untouched … Are you feeling sick?" He made a face, fighting back a wave of nausea before turning to face his aunt. Faking a convincing smile, he answered "No, I'm just not very hungry this morning. Where's mom?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at him but she said "She's painting in her studio, she's expecting you so you can go inside." Carter nodded and put his hand on the french-door handle and pulled. Or at least, he tried to. The door didn't budge at all. Surprised, he applied more pressure but in vain. He heard Alex's voice behind him say " Push, Clark!"

Carter closed his eyes for a second, cursing in his head before pushing the door and oh surprise, it moved. He let out a laughter and said "Oupsie, sorry, I forgot. See ya!" He waved Alex without looking at her before escaping the house, swearing under his breath. _Rookie mistake, really_ , he thought while walking around the house to find the studio at the back.

Clark had explain to him that it was at the very end of the building, almost separated from the house itself. It was possible to access it from the inside but it meant he had to go across the entire wine cellar, then through a storage room where Kara was putting her work and material and finally follow an old corridor before getting to the studio.

That's why most of the time, everyone took the external path, along the house, a little down the yard and then there were several french-doors to get inside. One time out of two, it was wide open because Kara liked the heat and the air, the smell of the flowers from the garden and the sounds of the birds and the one from the fountains. Carter looked around while approaching the studio. It was a nice backyard, different from the one with the old oak tree. More green and well-manicured, with patches of colors and a few ponds with fountains. Lot of trees to protect the flowers and plants from the sun and he saw two stone benches strategically located. It was like a little heaven, not too hot, not too cold, peaceful.

Some music notes echoed from inside the studio, coming out through the three open french-doors and Carter recognized a piece of classical. _This is weird, mom never listen to classical music_ , he thought, remembering what Clark had said about the rhythm being too distracting for Kara to solely focus on her painting and not on the music.

He entered the studio by one of the french-door and held back a gasp.

The place was breath-taking beautiful. Back in Camp Henshaw, Clark did his best to describe the painting studio but now Carter was speechless, totally impressed by the reality of it.

The first thing that got his attention was the light. Natural and really soft despite the numerous windows and glass doors on the wall, its white glow was gently lessened by the amount of space in the room. It was mostly due to the high ceilings, Carter noticed as he looked up to admire the ingenious system of windows allowing the roof to be open or close, depending on how much light was needed. The wall weren't white like Clark said but more like a very pale nuance of beige and the one of them was in stone, old white stones.

The room was occupied by canvas, paints, easels, clay and some sculptures. A worn-out and damaged couch was pushed against the stone wall, next to a piece of furniture supporting a coffee maker and a mini-fridge. Carter noticed a huge sink on another wall and more painting material on the shelves next to it. The floor showed splashes of paint here and there.

"Oh Hi buddy, I didn't hear you arrive." Kara was sitting in the middle of the room, on a wooden stool and she faced a canvas Carter couldn't quite see. She had a brush in one hand and a cup in the other. On a high table next to her, in the middle of her painting material, there was a pink box full of donuts.

His stomach growled and he took a few step to pick a baked good, eating it in a matter of seconds. Kara seemed focused on her painting, absentmindedly raising the cup to her lips to take a sip from time to time but she didn't speak again and Carter went to sit down on the couch. That way, he could see his mother's profile and the painting she was working on. Something involving shades of blue, red and yellow.

Half an hour later, she put down her brush and spun on her stool to face him. "Did you sleep well?" Carter nodded, thinking about what he had heard last night in the backyard.

"Yeah, I slept like a baby. How's the painting going? I'm surprised you're listening to … what, Beethoven?" Carter knew it was actually a piece called Andante and composed by Mozart but he figured it would have been weird for Clark to know that.

Kara chuckled and explained "You know I usually don't listen to that kind of music but … I don't know, it matched with my mindset and the painting, for once." She was slightly blushing and Carter wondered just how much that mysterious interlocutor she was talking to over the phone had influenced that sudden change. He made a skeptical face but he didn't push it, knowing his mom would just shrug her way off the discussion. Used to his mum and the way she faced every single problem with determination, he had no idea of how to bring Kara to talk about whoever was making her smile and blush like that.

That thought made him frown. Because Clark did mention, in the notes, that Cat refused to explain why she and Kara were separated and living an ocean apart, not to mention the fact they were both hiding a secret from their sons.

"You alright there?" Kara was watching him closely, a concerned expression drawn on her face. He smiled and nodded, saying he was just lost in his own thoughts. Then he asked if she was free for a walk around the house. Clark had told him she loved to move to relax during a difficult painting.

"Sure, I just need to make a quick phone call first." She was blushing again and her blue eyes were shining with something strange and yet so familiar, Carter felt uneasy just to watch. He narrowed his eyes at her and asked bluntly "A phone call to … nobody, right? That no one who is making you act like a weird teenage girl?"

His tone was a little bit cold and he only noticed that when he saw the slight pain in his mother's eyes. He softened a little but only to ask "Who is that person, Mom? You never kept anything from me before …"

 _I mean, beside the whole twin situation of course_ , he thought bitterly. Kara stayed quiet for a while, looking at him without really seeing.

The loud honk of a car horn almost made him jump out of his skin.

"Well, since you're asking … why don't you come with me and meet that no one I am trying to talk to you about without making it weird?" She was practically bouncing from excitement and Carter's uneasiness just worsened.

 _And you obviously failed because it is weird, mom_ , he thought.

He suddenly remembered something and he was about to say that it was impossible since last night, he heard her protest about not being able to see them before a while. But that would mean to reveal he was listening to a private conversation. So he just nodded and followed his mother out of the painting studio and along the house, to end up in the driveway in front of the porch.

Parked between Alex's dusty but new red SUV and Kara's old gray pick-up, there was a very flashy white Porsche carrera, the kind that was common and cheap. Carter arched an unimpressed brow but he said nothing as the driver's door opened. The blast of a very loud and energetic summer hit made him wince and he frowned.

At the corner of his eyes, he saw Alex coming outside to stand on the porch, arms crossed on her chest and a sneer on her lips. He turned his attention back to the new car, letting out a relieved breath when the music came to a stop. Finally, someone got out of the Porsche.

It was a woman, a tall, athletic woman with long brown hair and a relatively fair skin, despite the slight tan she was arboring. She was wearing a very tight deep green dress that was hugging her in all the right places and she had a lot of those. Everlasting long legs, a curved back, two delicate but strong shoulders, a generous breasts and toned arms and Carter couldn't deny she was very pretty. He noticed the black high-heels as she approached them after closing her car with a loud bang. She was wearing a huge pair of sunglasses and he couldn't see her eyes but he didn't like her. He could tell something was wrong with her, just by the way she smiled at him.

Before anyone could say a thing, she kissed Kara soundly on the mouth.

Carter's jaw just dropped and his eyes widened. He was too dumbfounded to move a muscle and by the time she stopped to face him with that weird, predatory smile, he was still gaping at her. She removed her sunglasses and Carter saw the freckles over her nose and cheekbones. Mostly, he saw the deep, deep brown of her eyes and he didn't like it one bit. It was cold and empty and so wrong. So, so wrong.

"Hum, Clark, I would like to … uh, I mean. This is Siobhan Smythe. Siobhan, meet my son, Clark Danvers." Kara sounded a little bit awkward but she had a dreamy smile on her lips and her eyes were full of hope, desperate for approval.

Carter swallowed quietly before reaching a hand. The woman shaked it with warm, soft fingers but it wasn't strong enough and he remembered his mum saying that a person with a lazy handshake was generally trouble.

"Hi, young man! Your mother told me a lot about you, I couldn't wait to finally meet you!" Her voice was deep and nice, with a hint of a weird accent. Carter knew that the name was irish but he figured Clark wouldn't know so he made a face and narrowed his eyes at her. Playing dumb, he tried "Shio … siho … uh. Nice to meet you miss. That's a weird name you got."

She only laughed but it didn't quite reach the eyes. She explained "My parents are from Ireland and I grew up there before moving here, in California, when I was eighteen. And it's pronounced Siobhan, by the way."

He shrugged and walked over to Alex, asking between his gritted teeth "Did you know about them being a … being, what, a thing?" His aunt was watching as Kara and Siobhan kissed again and she made a disgusted face, saying "It's still very new but yeah. She's an art journalist and she wanted to do a piece on your mother … and here she is."

 _This is a disaster_ , he thought as his mother waved at him, an arm around the brunette's waist and she was smiling widely. _A complete, utter disaster._

XXXX

 **LONDON** \- _around 8:00 PM_

Clark watched as Lucy was making dinner, silently sat down on one of the stools in front of the kitchen island.

Sunday went by very fast for him, spending time with his mother around the city, dropping by at the office to retrieve some importants files, walking alongside the Thames in the City and he even convinced Cat to go to Camden Market.

It had been interesting, seeing her outside of her comfort zone. Only him could say she was not her usual self, because she managed to seems perfectly at ease amongst the colorful and strange crowd of Camden District.

She never talked about the chat they had the previous day in Hyde Park.

Clark thought back to her closed expression when he had asked about the separation. The way her eyes had just shut down to nothing, the mean purse of her lips and the clenched jaw, all those signs that indicated anger and grudge.

He didn't try to ask her again, knowing she would just roll her eyes out of the discussion.

She was in her home office for the moment, filing some paperwork whilst waiting for dinner to be ready. She told him she had taken the week off and he had beamed at that, even though he knew she would still work from time to time, from her home office. Carter had warned him, she was a real workaholic.

"Luce?" He suddenly asked, after being quiet for a while. He saw her jump a little and he smiled sheepishly, apologizing for startling her. She smiled back and waited for him to ask the real question.

Somewhere before he even opened his mouth again, he saw something shine in Lucy's eyes. Something like a glint of mischief and cleverness. He didn't know what to make of that so he just stored it in the back of his mind.

"Why is mum refusing to speak about my other mother?" He decided he might as well be blunt, since it was common knowledge that Cat was always shutting herself down whenever the subject was brought.

"Oh, Honey. You know I can't talk about this, she would have my head on a silver plater for that." Lucy's voice sounded sorry but she was firm, as she checked the oven to make sure the lasagna wasn't burnt.

Clark narrowed his eyes at her and raised his voice a little, starting to be a little angry at the two women purposely avoiding that specific topic. "Lucy. I'm thirteen years old and I have no idea who the hell my other parent is. Do you think it's normal?"

The small woman looked at him from the other side of the island and he could see she was understanding and aching to say something but she just shook her head and said "It's not normal but it isn't my story to tell, sweetheart. One day, your mother will be ready to talk about it but before that day, I am afraid you won't know anything. At least, not from me."

Again, that weird gleam shone in her eyes. Clark blinked a few time, not sure what to think about it. If he didn't knew any better, he could have swear she was insinuating he could always learn the answers to his question another way.

"You can go get your mom now, dinner will be ready in a few." Lucy focused back on the oven, checking the clock before moving around the kitchen to get what she needed next.

Clark sighed and jumped down off his stool, making his way to his mum's office. He hadn't seen it yet, he had only explored the kitchen, the living room, his bedroom and the bathroom. He climbed up the stair and turned left after half wall separating the stairs from the actual office.

He didn't know what he was expecting but clearly not something so ... electric.

The whole back wall was made of glass, allowing the eye to wander around London's skyscrapers and to see the clouds wrap themselves around the buildings. It gave the room a grey, dim halo that was reinforced by the impressive number of lights turned on.

Clark was facing his mother's desk, a heavy piece of acajou wood, rather large for its utility. Cat was sat in a big leather chair, the old kind, with a deep seat and height armrests. He almost thought it was green but it was actually a soft and delicate shade of deep red, a little bit pale and damaged by the years. The floor was made of wood too, a deep kind of oak that was meant to be a reminder of the desk, only lighter. A pair of assorted sofas were facing in the empty space between the entrance and the desk, complementary to the desk chair. One of the wall had been transformed into shelves, directly dug into the concrete and then lined with acajou wood. There was the huge, so huge collection of vinyls that Carter mentioned. There were so many of them, Clark was in awe. He noticed the speakers dispatched in the room, discreets but still visibles, all wired to the old record player atop of an acajou wooden dresser, next to a bar area.

Great, fine stoch, judging by the appealing amber color of the liquid.

Clark grew up surrounded by alcohol, with his aunt Alex explaining everything he wanted to know about it, answering every single of his question. He actually got to taste a few wines, only half of a sip and only with Kara's permission first but he loved it. However, he never understood how anyone could drink whisky and cognac. Just the smell of it made his nostrils burns and he could only imagine the taste of it, destroying everything inside a body, all the way to the stomach.

Although, it wasn't a surprise for him to find out Cat Grant was a scotch drinker. He could have pictured her as a wine connoisseur but she was also strong and fierce and she could drink Cognac like actual honey milk, he was sure of it.

Finally, he noticed the huge, huge flat screen hanging on the wall next to him, right in front of his mother's desk across the room. He was used to his big home cinema back in Napa, where he watched baseball games and played video games with his aunt but that was a totally different kind of television.

The image on the screen was divided into a dozen of chanel, representing the news of each country under the rule of Cat Grant's empire.

The media mogul was currently typing on her laptop, a Macbook so new Clark was certain it wasn't yet on the market. She was wearing a pair of glasses and it reminded him of his other mother. The shape wasn't the same but the tick glass and the showing black frame were very close to one another. He smiled and took a few steps in the office, letting his feet fall on the wooden floor to make a noise.

She looked up immediately and he had a glimpse of that sharp, focused and relentless glare she was used to throw at her employees. It was a scary, scary look in the middle of those delicate features and with that dressed to kill outfit.

"Dinner is ready, mum. Lucy is awaiting for us" He said with a smile, watching as Cat's green eyes softened and he could actually see the smile before it reached her lips.

And just like that, in a second, she looked like an entirely different woman. A mother, loving and caring, even with a media empire to run.

"I'll be here in a second Sweetheart. Could you please fetch me some batteries for my remote? There is a pack in the drawer of my nightstand, you'd be a treasure." She was smiling at him but her fingers never stopped typing. He nodded and turned around to find his mother's bedroom.

Remembering Carter's drawing of the penthouse, he found the place rather quickly. It was at the end of a hallway, after the office and he saw another door on his way, Lucy's bedroom without a doubt.

He slowly pushed the door, curiously looking around and then suddenly, he gasped.

Hanging above the king size bed, there was an explosion of blue in this place full of beige and taupe and nuances of white.

He recognized the painting from a picture he saw once in his mother portfolio.

It was a beautiful piece, probably the best painting his mother ever made. It was full of hope and love, and so bright it was almost blinding to him. He was dumbfounded to find that painting here, in his other mother's bedroom of all places.

Kara had changed her painting style, he knew that much. He loved to take a look at her old paintings and it was brighter, lighter, easier. She was still manipulating colors but it was more melancholic and sometimes even angry. Nothing like that piece he was admiring.

He pulled his iPhone and took a picture to send it via WhatsApp, explaining who was the artist and asking if Carter had ever asked anything about it. By the time he got close to the nightstand to retrieve the battery, his phone chimed to announce a new text.

 **MR :** That's mom's painting? Oh my god, I've always wondered! But I never asked about it, no. How curious that mum have it … Tell me what you found? By the way, you and I need to talk, I'll let you know when I am available.

Clark frowned at the last part. He could tell it was serious but Carter was being evasive in his text. Looking at the time, the American boy did the math and realized it was somewhere around noon over there. Maybe he was about to have lunch. Maybe it was something else.

Either way, he had no time to dwell on this for now so he typed a positive answer and then slipped the phone in his pocket before bringing the batteries to his mother. She swapped the ones in the universal remote with the new ones and then nodded with satisfaction.

"Better. Now, let's have dinner, shall we?" She put her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him to the stair, leading the way even from behind.

A few minutes later, he was stuffing his face with Lucy's lasagna. After Alex's cooking, his mum best friend's was the next best thing. For a few seconds, he wondered if his english mother know how to cook but then, his attention drifted back to the conversation around the dinner.

"I saw an invitation in the mail, for that new exposition opening in the Whitechapel Gallery. Will you go?" Lucy asked, while cutting a piece of lasagna. Clark saw his mother sip at her wine before answering in a nonchalant tone "No, I don't think so. You know I am not that interested in painting and beside, I know the artist and I can't stand his arrogance. He only invited me so he can throw the name of Cat Grant around. I will not support this."

Clark felt a pinch of sadness in his stomach, hearing his english mother said she wasn't interested in painting. Again, he wondered if Kara caused that disinterest and then he remembered the painting hanging above Cat's bed. He frowned and hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking "I thought you loved painting … I mean, you do have a stunning piece just above where you sleep. By the way mum, I never asked. Who painted that canvas? I just saw it again earlier and each time I see it, it seems to get better and better. Silly, isn't it?"

He slowly put a bite of lasagna in his mouth, while watching his mother closely. He noticed the slight whitening of her knuckles when she tightened her hold around her glass, the metallic reflection in her green eyes and the so ever discreet clenching of her jaw. But all of this was gone in a few seconds as she smiled, waving the question away with a easy answer "I don't quite remember, I bought that painting a long time ago, before you were even born."

He arched a brow at that, going through his memory to find the date under the photograph in the portfolio. It was blurred and he didn't remembered exactly so he mentally took note to ask Carter to check it out. Just to be sure, because he started to get tired of his mothers lies.

He always thought his american mother, the only one he knew before going to Camp Henshaw, was a terrible liar. Obviously, she was way better than expected, he realized bitterly.

He shrugged and finished his lasagna, sporadically participating to the conversation from time to time.

Before going to bed that night, he added everything he had learned, which wasn't much really, into the notes of the Cloud Account, sending a text to Carter to let him know it was updated.

He had hard times to fall asleep, that night, wondering about what happened between his two mothers for them to keep such a secret for so long.


End file.
